Aliens: The Alien On Your Side
by 4fireking
Summary: Ian Gipper was infected by a parasite on his way to die. Instead the alien becomes a pet to the marine. And through discovering this alien he finds another surviver of a face-hugger. Are the aliens on their side (co-author Burke23).
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first Alien/Predator fanfiction. I was able to make it after collaborating with Burke23 and have a lot more words written down of this story thanks to Burke23. Warning, action in this fanfiction are slow. It's mostly character dialogue. I hope you enjoy this fanfiction.**

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Space. It was a clutter of clouds and a vessel filled sky where a team were picking a place to land. A crew of four androids, fifteen scientists, and fifty marines; one solider wanted to be alone with his fake ribs and peas. There once was a time this boy complained about this exact food but it was made by his mother and it was his favorite food. Amazing how food like this could be on a vessel when the cafeteria was crowded earlier.

No one dreamed in hypersleep; it makes it feel like the trip took seconds, and not years. All of the hypersleep chambers opened at the same time, but Ian Gipper stirred first. He slowly sat up and rubbed his temples, he had a splitting headache.

" It could be worse," he said to himself out loud because headaches made it hard for him to think. " I could have lost a limb, obtained a virus, or hear bad news about what horrible things happening to my sisters."

"Aw," the woman who was in the chamber next to him sat up slowly "you DO think about us."

If the boy knew this woman would be listening he would have...well he still would have said on his mind.

"Shut up," he told the woman, who turned out to be his sister, "I have a headache."

A Marine sat up on the other side of him, "They get better after a while Gipper."

"That doesn't make this one less painful," Gipper said standing up.

"Come on," the marine said hitting Gipper on the shoulder "let's get dressed up and head too the basketball court, a little one-on-one to get our blood pumping again."

"Sweet," Gipper turned toward his sister "wanna watch Maryanne?"

"Sure," she stood up "I could spare five minutes, but I have to get dressed and so do you."

Gipper pulled on his shirt. He didn't know his shirt was so sticky until he touched it again.

"Why is my shirt all sticky?" He asked himself.

He could change his shirt but it would have to be after he went to the basketball court. Five minutes wasn't enough time to change.

"Hey Gipper," the Marine was dribbling the basketball "ready to lose?"

He ran to the court, "Ready when you are Decaf."

David Kaffee, better known by his nickname 'Decaf', was one of Gipper's childhood friends. He was also one of Gipper's only friends on the ship other than his sisters, who were both on the ship with him. After five minutes of basketball, a voice came over the loudspeaker.

"Crew of the USCSS Spectrum," the captain said "head down to the mess hall, it's time for breakfast."

Some of the men shouted so the whole hall could hear they were glad it was breakfast time, and even some of the women were doing it.

"Wow," Gipper said "they really like breakfast."

"Every meal is treated like a banquet in the Corps," Decaf stated.

Maryanne stood up and stretched, "It feels like I haven't eaten in years."

Gipper chuckled, "That's because we haven't. Come on, let's reunite with Julia."

"Right behind you Ian," she said.

While Maryanne was Ian's older sister, Julia was his little sister, and she was one of the scientists among the crew. It was a proud day when the youngest family member became a scientist and Julia's brother and sister were proud of her.

The food that was prepared was make several minutes before we woke up by the androids. Ian never liked androids, he always felt like he could never trust something that did not have a tell when he or she told a lie. One of Ian's hobbies on Earth was poker, as such he learned how to tell that people were lying by their facial expressions, and androids almost never had facial expressions.

The androids served the fake ribs, peas, and mashed potatoes to everyone, and then they sat down and ate their own food. Julia took the seat next to me.

"Jeez," she said "I hate hyper-sleep."

"Headache?" Ian asked.

"Headache," She answered.

" That's too bad but in space our bodies need hyper sleep or else bad things would happen to us."

" Well at least I don't have to be a power-loader like Maryanne. She works longer then me because no one matches her engineering skills."

"That's too bad, but in space our bodies need hyper sleep or else bad things would happen to us," Decaf said taking a seat right next to Julia.

"Well at least I don't have to be a power-loader like Maryanne," Julia stated. "She works longer then me because no one matches her engineering skills."

Julia was smart, but Maryanne was strong and liked to get her hands dirty, that's why she volunteered to work in Grease Town. Grease Town is what everyone called the section of the ship where all of the engineers worked and lived.

His sisters both worked very hard to be here and Ian was lucky to be related to them.

Julia was smart, but Maryanne was strong and liked to get her hands dirty, that's why she volunteered to work in Grease Town. Grease Town is what everyone called the section of the ship where all of the engineers worked and lived. Maryanne specifically worked and maintained a Power Loader.

His sisters both worked very hard to be here and Ian was lucky to be related to them. However, they did not come without sacrifices. Maryanne got hurt almost every day on the job, and Julia was constantly sexually harassed by one of the sergeants on board.

Under stress people could see what their bosses were really like. It was all honey and such upon their first interaction but getting down to it a boss must feel stress and act normally.

"Alright ladies," Ian turned his head to see SFC Santiago "After breakfast we have an hour of free time and then head to Grease Town for the briefing."

" My free time is going to be nothing but weights and basketball," one of the marines said.

"I second that," Decaf said raising his hand.

"I'll go to Grease Town," Maryanne said "I need to move supplies onto the drop-ships."

"I'll head to the medical center to check our stock," Julia said.

Ian thought to himself and decided that he wanted to spend some time with his young sister Julia. He didn't like being on drop-ships. When the Spectrum would get into orbit, the Marines would pile onto the drop-ships, and then the ships would literally drop into atmosphere. The very thought of that made Ian feel queasy.

The medical center was one of the cleanest places on the ship, everything was sterile and white. An android was one of the head doctors, everyone called him 'Hal', Ian didn't like him. It wasn't fear, it wasn't disrespect, it wasn't bad experience, and it wasn't the look of them. He just felt that he could never see them as anything other than future disasters.

"How're you holding up, Julia?" Ian asked.

"I've been better," she answered. "I mean, this job is great, but Sargent Brown keeps harassing me."

"I forbade him to come in unless he's injured," Hal stated "and if he's in for a medical reason I make sure that he sees a different nurse."

Ian turned toward him and said, "This is the only time I am going to say this...but thank you android for keeping my sister safe."

"I do my best," Hal said with an emotionless face.

"I'm safe here, you should check on Maryanne," she said. "After that you need to change clothes, 'cause you stink."

Ian raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

"I would say I put deodorant on but you'll just tell me there needs to be some rubbed on your balls as well," she stated trying to hold back her laughter.

Ian was too low rank of a marine to try any smart ass comments because he didn't have the experience to make them stick, but that would change that day. In the Corps there is a saying, 'When you face action, at the end of the day you're either a veteran or dead', this would be the day he would earn his stripes, and he wasn't just going to try getting away from the danger before it could swallow him.

Grease Town was abuzz with noise and sparks. I went to the senior engineer and asked, "Where can I find Maryanne Gipper?"

"She's over there moving the missile onto the drop-ship," he said pointing toward a Power Loader.

The Power Loader was basically a giant yellow suit of armor with the Power Loader was basically a giant yellow suit of armor with lobster crushers that could lift five hundred pounds each. A beginner of this machine could learn how to use it in one day.

"Hey Ian," Maryanne said behind me.

Ian turned and saw that Maryanne was cut on her cheek. "What happened?" He asked.

"A cable snapped and scratched my cheek," she explained.

"Oh my god. Whatever happened you need to tell your boss so he can put safety measures on that cable," Ian said.

"Taken care of," she said "currently I'm working on my Power Loader. Wanna see?"

"Sure," Ian said.

When they were young, Maryanne and Ian were inseparable. It was like they were married only they never kiss or have sex but they use to want to run together to find something. The pair would always get into trouble. They never wanted it, but they always looked for it. Ian once stole a necklace from a jewelry store and gave it to her for her birthday, she wore it every day ever since. Ian was awakened from those fun memories by a gas feeling in his nostrils.

"There she is," Maryanne stated with pride "my personal power loader."

"What's that smell?" Ian asked.

"That, my brother, is the smell of an engineer like myself," she stated "but specifically I was fueling one of the drop-ships and I spilled some on me."

"Well," Ian said "I've got fifteen minutes before the briefing, I need to change into my uniform and get ready."

Ian went to the locker room ans changed into my Marines attire, Ian did not change into my armor because it would be too uncomfortable.

One hangar was set up to house all of the Marines. There was one other person there when Ian walked in and it was Decaf.

"You know what the mission's about?" Ian asked sitting next to him.

"Something about a raid on a colony on Gita 32-11," he said.

"Isn't that a prison planet?" Ian asked.

"Hence why they called us," Decaf described.

Ian sat down nice and quiet trying to listen and understand the man he was talking to. Little was known about the Marine's background to everyone except the sergeant. Ian had met him in boot camp and they were the best of friends ever since. Thirty minutes passed and it was time to begin.

"Listen up chicks and dicks of the USCSS Spectrum," SFC Santiago stated from his platform "there's been a change. We're heading to Romulan 351."

One of the marines thought the sergeant was joking and he whispered how insane that sounded to his friend which Ian heard.

"The ship's AI changed course after they received a distress beacon from the colony Genesis Ascending," Santiago said. It wasn't everyday the ship receives a distress signal. This was actually an exciting meeting. "I have reviewed the distress signal thoroughly, and it would seem that there is an alien infestation in the area, and... xenomorphs may be involved."

"Another bug hunt," Decaf said disappointed "I was looking forward to liberating a colony on Gita."

The Sergeant heard Decaf but he wasn't going to talk to him after what he just said.

"We're taking a group of thirteen, including myself, planet-side to do recon. Now recent thermal scans show signs of living people scattered throughout the colony," he said.

"Living or not what makes you think the xenomorphs aren't keeping them alive for their own reasons?" I asked.

"We can't take that chance," General Santiago replied "if they are alive, we have to save them." That was something a dedicated Marine would say.

They were dismissed to put on their M3 Pattern Personal Armor and our M10 Pattern Ballistic Helmets. Thirty minutes after they were dismissed, they were back in the hanger loading onto a drop-ship.

" We shall bring terrors to those little disgusting things. I want them all dead," a marine said.

"Does anyone here care about the survivors?" Ian asked.

"Gipper, there are thirteen of us on this ship and thirteen of us are on the way, including your sisters," Decaf stated, "I'm sure that a few of us care about the people."

Ian looked at the Marine explaining this to him in a positive light, "Thanks Decaf."

"You ladies strapped in?" General Santiago asked.

"Sir, yes sir!" Everyone shouted.

"Just another day in the field," the General said.

"Oorah!" Everyone shouted.

Classic marine battle cry. It meant they were going to go straight at the enemy with everything they got. At that moment, the hangar door below us opened and as soon as the general strapped in, the pilot counted down.

"You know," Ian said "I haven't had any combat drops before."

"It's just like the simulations," Decaf said, "walk in the park."

"Or falling from the sky," Ian stated and then they dropped.

Yep it really was falling from the sky. Ian was right, it was just like falling from the sky. If Ian really was falling like this he would be toast, but after a while, the drop-ship leveled off. Ian now had the time to wonder what made him think he would fall to his death. He had always had a fear of falling from heights after he broke his arm falling from a tree. That was a story for later, for now he was wondering if he was at risk of being eaten by an alien life-form. When the drop-ship landed and the Armored Personnel Carrier containing the Marines started to roll into the nearly abandoned colony, Ian lost any sense of fear, and it was replaced with determination.

It turned out the planet was a little cold and it wasn't helping that his armor wasn't built to warm him up. Ian had the least dangerous job in the recon force, the Motion Tracker operator. It really was time for Ian to work and his memories would help him exterminate every alien he sees.

"Alright ladies," General Santiago yelled, "shut up, clock in, and load up."

"Yes sir!" Everyone yelled back.

"You know the drill," he said, "groups of two or more, every inch of this place has to be searched for survivors."

The motion tracker was heavy, and it hindered Ian's ability to carry a pulse rifle, he only had his sidearm. He was with Decaf and General Santiago. They almost cleared every room of the first building within the first hour. The last room that Ian would check was right in front of him. The general kicked the door in and Decaf jumped through, and he froze in his tracks.

"Decaf," the general whispered, "what do you see?" Decaf was silent.

"David," Ian whispered, "what is it?" Decaf pointed his rifle, and the mounted flashlight illuminated an open xenomorph egg.

"Gipper," Santiago stated, "motion tracker, now!"

Ian turned on the motion tracker, but nothing was illuminated on the screen, nothing was moving.

"David," Ian said, "back up slowly, we'll throw an incendiary grenade in the room and lock the door behind us and move onto the next room."

General Santiago knew what Ian was doing, he was using his personal connection with Decaf to keep him calm. Decaf backed up, and then he was behind Ian. Ian turned and smiled at Decaf, and then the motion tracker beeped. He looked into the room just in time to see a facehugger jump at him. It would be the last thing he would see in a while.

++Minutes Later on the Spectrum++

"General Santiago to Captain Avery of the Spectrum, come in," the general's voice came over the radio.

"I read you General," Avery said.

"First compound cleared," he said "we found three survivors and have one casualty, Ian Dwayne Gipper. Damn parasite latched onto his face. Request drop-ship with medical supplies, doctors, and more troops."

"I read you loud and clear, expect the next drop in less than thirty minutes. Over and out," Captain Avery disconnected and went to break the news to Maryanne and Julia, they were not going to be happy about the status of their brother.

Captain Avery walked to the sisters holding his military cap off. It was always hard for a family member to learn their loved one wasn't coming home. Maryanne and Julia were talking to each other, and when they saw the captain of the ship approaching them, they knew that it was about Ian.

They both took a step back. The closer he got to them the more the inescapable truth that Ian has been killed or infected started to wind their strength.

"Maryanne and Julia Gipper?" The captain asked. Both of them nodded. "I have some bad news, your brother Ian has a xenomorph parasite attached to his face. He's alive, but his chances are slim to none. I'm sorry."

They each reacted to the bad news differently, Maryanne quietly sobbed next to her power loader, and Julia...she didn't waste her time trying to get to her brother before a xenomorph jumped out of his gut.

Later, she talked to a woman piloting the drop-ship. "I'm going planetside to perform surgery on my brother."

She said, "You can come if you want, I have no authority to stop you."

Melissa was following Julia and she was followed by the military officer who told them what happened to Julia.

"Look here," he put a hand on her shoulder, "you can go, but you can't perform the surgery, you're emotionally compromised."

She was indeed emotionally compromise but she didn't stop knowing her brothers condition.

Meanwhile, Maryanne was still crying by her power loader, and then a female Marine walked up to her. This Marine was of course just as pretty as Maryanne despite having her hair shaved off.

"Yo," she said, "what size are you?"

Maryanne looked up, "I'm a thirteen."

"Good," the Marine smiled, "you can fit in my armor and get onto the shuttle to be with your brother."

That was a surprise and yet she trusted the marine to switch armor with her.

"Thank you," Maryanne hugged the female Marine.

"I'm not a hugger," she said back.

Maryanne gave a small apology and backed away from hugging her. Minutes later, Julia, and the now armored Maryanne were loaded onto the drop-ship. No one but Julia knew it was her, but that would change when they landed.

"If so much as a scar is made on Ian I'll blow up this whole base," she mumbled to herself. As soon as the ship landed, she switched into her engineer outfit and found the room where they held her brother. His helmet was on a table, which Maryanne knew was his because it had a peace sign painted on the side. And she knew from the parasite on his face that his chances are slim.

"Hey," a marine grabbed her arm, "you're not supposed to be here."

A hand grabbed onto his shoulder and pulled him away, "She's family," it as Decaf, "she has every right to be here."

That was enough reason for her to push the hand away.

"Maryanne," he said, "what the hell are you doing here? Engineers are not supposed to go planetside during a mission."

"I know and it doesn't bother me as long as I can keep my brother from becoming another gut busted corpse," she said.

"Point taken," he said.

After a while, she reunited with Julia. She was dressed up in her medical uniform and her hands were covered in blood. It was a good thing that she had gloves on.

"My God," Maryanne said, "did you do the surgery on Ian?"

"No," she answered "some moron bet that he could jump off of the drop-ship and land on his feet. He did, and he broke both of his legs. I re-set and mended the bones, it was pretty messy." She took off her gloves.

"It's strange your not doing the surgery on Ian right now. They must be blocking you from doing it because your emotionally compromised," Maryanne stated.

Julia was shocked, "How did you..."

"Ian is our brother," Maryanne interrupted, "do you really think that they'll let siblings perform surgery on each other. Also, you were crying on the way over here."

"I've never been in a drop-ship before," she argued, "I was nervous."

Maryanne was surprisingly less nervous about all of this than her sister Julia.

"Ladies," the general approached them, "the parasite is off of his face, if you want to say your goodbyes, now's the time."

"I won't say any goodbye's," Maryanne brushed his shoulder as she left the room, "because he's going to live."

The general was a good man. Any other man would snort because an infected person living was beyond hilarious. It was time for the surgery. At the request of Ian, no androids were in the room.

Maryanne, Julia, and Decaf were watching from behind a window, and on the other side three men in hazmat suits performing the surgery.

They first put something in Ian's mouth through a tube, and when Ian was unconscious, they began the surgery. They shaved off all his chest hair and injected him with an anesthetic. They coated his chest with an antiseptic solution, and then they cut open his chest just below the rib-cage with a laser cutter. Then they used retracters to pull the skin back and reveal the inside of his chest.

"Here's where it get's tricky," one of the doctors stated, "we need to grab the... foreign object... with the tongs."

"Why can't they just open his rib-cage?" Maryanne asked from behind the glass, "We have the technology to mend bones instantly."

"But they can't open the chest or they could damage his spine," Julia answered, "or worse it could kill him."

The doctor attached a small camera to the tongs, and then he went in. It took a few seconds, but then the doctor said, "Found it."

"Grab it," a female doctor stated.

"Three, two..." he didn't have time to get to three, because the xenomorph grabbed the tongs with its teeth.

"Dammit," the doctor said struggling with the tongs. Julia, Maryanne, and Decaf all held their breath on the other side of the glass. At one point, the xenomorph almost pulled the tongs into Ian but the female doctor helped him. Together, they both pulled the xenomorph out of Ian. The third doctor grabbed the container and put the snake-like alien into it along with the tongs. After they checked the heart monitor and doing several chest scans, they confirmed that he was going to live.

The doctors looked at the baby xenomorph while Maryanne and Julia nearly cried their eyes off seeing their brother was now fine.

Several minutes later, Maryanne, Julia, and Decaf went to talk to him. Ian was in a twenty-four hour quarantine, so they all had to wear hazmat suits, and they brought with them a picture of the xenomorph.

"Congratulations," Decaf said handing him the picture, "you're a father."

"She has your eyes," Maryanne teased, "what'll you name her?"

" How about instead of naming if you throw it in the incinerator before it escapes and kills us all," Julia suggested.

Ian clutched his chest, "I can still feel it, squirming inside of me."

"It's probably just phantom pain," Julia stated, "but as I was saying, why don't they just kill it?"

"Science probably," Decaf answered, "Gipper is the first man in recorded history to get a parasite removed without killing him."


	2. Chapter 2

**Since Burke123 is my coauthor and I mentioned that in the summary know that all the chapters were finished by Burke and I working together. I'm also happy to post this second chapter. You readers are awesome.**

XXX

"That makes us the luckiest sisters with a very cool brother to keep around," said Maryanne.

"You know," Ian rubbed the back of his neck, "I don't say this enough, but I love you both."

The two sisters sandwich hugged Ian. "We love you too," Julia said.

"See you in twenty-something hours," Ian said on his roll-away bed.

It was nice to finally get some sleep without feeling like there's a monster inside him.

++Nearby Laboratory++

"The specimen is not reacting with hostility," one of the scientists said, "and it seems to be hanging out really close to that wall."

"Hmm..." the android Hal said, "Ian is on the other side of the wall... I wonder."

Ian at the time was having something similar to night terrors. He dreamt of the monster that came out of his chest chasing him through a long hallway that only got narrower and narrower, and it did not help that in the real world there was a scratching sound on the other side of the wall.

" Like being in this bed with you on the other side wasn't scary enough."

Ian could tell this wasn't going to be a pleasant day for trying to dream. He barely slept the rest of the night. In the morning he was released, and his sisters got him a great meal. Not just any great meal but this meal he would go through a hundred torturous hours to eat. There was steak and non alcoholic beer. That was two out of five elements. There was also a baked potato, an ear of corn, and green beans.

"Bon appetite Ian," Maryanne said.

Ian ate like he had not eaten in days. It showed by how even when crumbs dropped on him he kept eating. When he was finished, he went to his bunk, and slept. That night, he dreamed of the xenomorph again..

It was eating a dead body. The face was shadowed so Ian couldn't see who it was, but the experience was all too real. The vibe Ian got of this thing changed from frightened to a father watching its baby achieve its first kill. It was scary to think that he felt this way about a monster, maybe it was a product of Maryanne teasing him about being a father.

At least he was still keen on destroying every last one of this babies kin.

Later in the day, Maryanne and Ian went to the general to see if he could still fight. They walked into the generals office at a bad time.

He was on the radio, "Put turrets at every choke-point, I don't want a single bug getting in here!"

" Roger that sir. We have enough ammunition to blow hundreds."

He hung up and looked at Ian.

" I don't know how you survived the infection and I really don't care. You can only help me win this war if you can exterminate every last xenomorph."

Ian stood at attention, "Sir, if you are asking if I am able to fight, I am Sir."

"Good to know. I want you to cut the next xenomorph you see throat out," the general said.

Sensing Ian's nervousness, Maryanne said, "He's just giving you hard talk, Ian. Not many weapons can cut a xenomorph."

Ian just glared at her. Nothing like going back to work talking about throats and cutting.

Later, Ian was walking to his room to rest when he stopped at a room that was just behind the quarantine room. Ian was drawn to it, almost as it he could not turn away. His mind told him not to enter, but his heart told him otherwise. It was like something in his brain was calling him a father and it was somewhere in this room.

He pressed a button to open the door, he went through and closed it behind him. What he found was the room looked surprisingly clean, and it was very dark. He walked to the center of the room and stepped on something, he bent over and picked up a pair of surgical tongs.

The tongs had lots of Crimson on every once steel tony except the handle. At first they did not mean anything to him, and then he remembered the surgery. Then a hiss echoed throughout the room, a soft his that sounded like steam escaping from a pipe.

" There's only one being that can make that noise. It's you, xenomorph."

Ian was shocked, "No," he whispered to himself.

The room was dimly lit, but he could see the dark form emerging from the shadows. The xenomorph had a long, tube-like head. It had no eyes, but it had an inner pharyngeal jaw, which is capable of shooting from their mouth like a piston with sufficient power to smash through bone and metal. It had six hollow tubes jutting from its back, three on each side. Small spikes were visible from the back of it's neck to the tip of her spear-like tail. It's chest looked like a human rib-cage which frightened Ian all the more. It's legs were built like a theropod dinosaur, which is what it somewhat looked like.

Ian took a few steps backward as the seven foot, three hundred and twenty-five pound beast, and fell down. He backed himself into a corner as the xenomorph approached.

 _'Is this really how I'm going to die_?' Ian thought to himself.

Then the most extraordinary and strangest thing happened. It approached on all fours, only inches from Ian's face, began to purr. Then, it brushed its cheek against Ian's cheek, and then it did the same thing to the other cheek. After that it rubbed its smooth head against Ian's face, like a cat begging to be pet.

Ian didn't find this thing as cute as it tried to be-it looked like some horrid monstrosity that came out of the sea-but it wasn't killing him which was most surprising if all. He reached out his hand, and the xenomorph leaned into it. No matter what it looked like, it acted tame.

This was an all new character for what was the scariest thing he's encountered. He slowly made his way to the door, walked out, and shut it behind him. The xenomorph inside was not doing anything to get out. It almost seemed tame.

Ian almost felt the urge to go back in there and look at her, but he walked away. Little did he know that Hal was watching from a hidden camera in the room.

"Very interesting," he said.

Meanwhile Julia found something very interesting in the refrigerator of her room. The parasite that was attached to Ian's face was dissected on a table. It was a bottle of wine with a note from the Sargent who would not leave her alone.

"Typical of that loser," she whispered to herself, "where'd he even get this?"

Well it was easily let go when she rolled her eyes. She then left her room and went to see Hal. He had a smile on his face seeing her.

"I have something to show you," he said, "but I would prefer it if Maryanne was here as well."

Julia knew where Maryanne was, she was making improvements on the APC's. When Julia caught up to her, she had several oil stains on her white shirt. When they returned to Hal's surveillance room, they were in for a shock.

"I have your brother on my monitors," he said, "he sneaked into the room that held the xenomorph. I nick-named her 'Lucy'."

Julia would roll her eyes after hearing him name that monster Lucy, but her eyes were on her brother. He was in a corner petting the xenomorph like it was his pet, she did not understand.

"My guess would be that Lucy remembers the host she came from," Hal said, "which would explain this odd behavior. Think of the scientific value of this discovery!"

"You're quite giddy for a robot," Maryanne deadpanned.

"I prefer the term 'artificial person'," Hal stated.

Julia understood now know why not many people talked here.

"It's only been a day," Maryanne stated, "how is it so big?"

"A day is all a xenomorph needs to reach its full grown form," Hal replied.

"So," Julia said, "it's like he imprinted on Lucy."

"Correct," Hal said, "Lucy remembered what Ian smelled like. He's her... father."

" No way. No brother of mine is going to father that thing." Maryanne said.

"Need I remind you that _you_ were the one who made the 'you're a father' joke yesterday?" Julia asked.

"Besides you can't deny that Lucy came from your brother," Hal stated.

"I'm trying to make sense of it and all I need now is to get him out and keep that thing away from him!" She yelled, and then she stormed off.

Maryanne was clearly worried about her brother, so Julia followed her to comfort her.

The one thing that Julia did not want to do while following her sitter was speak up. Maryanne was famous for carrying a one sided conversation for several hours when she was angry.

Finally Julia was looking at Ian from the window of the room. Julia took a deep breath and entered the room. It looked like Ian did not know Julia walked in.

"I know about the xenomorph," she blurted out.

Ian immediately knew she saw him and the xenomorph in the room together.

"Who else knows?" Ian asked.

"Maryanne and Hal. I don't know why that thing hasn't killed you but I suggest you kill it," Julia stated.

He paused for a moment, "No. I don't know why, but I feel a connection with that creature."

Julia saw that as the most moronic thing her brother has ever said.

"Ever since I," he paused, "gave birth to it... I've been feeling different. Like I'm addicted to being near it."

"Whatever your addiction if it has to do with that thing it can only be the work of brainwash," Julia stated.

"Look here," Ian argued, "even If I did want the creature dead there was nothing I could do. Orders have come in from the outside that we should keep it for testing. They outrank the general."

"What idiot would want us to keep that monster alive?" Julia asked.

Ian couldn't really answer that question. There were new things changing Ian, and Julia knew it.

"Maybe Maryanne could talk some sense into you," Julia stated.

"If she could," Ian said, "she needs to walk into this room and tell me what she thinks is right herself."

Julia didn't say another word to him. All she could do now was grab Maryanne and walk her there. She dragged Maryanne, who had just finished working on the APC, to Ian to talk some sense into him.

" How long do you plan to sit down and pet that monster looking to take your hand off, Ian?"

She did not even start with a hello, she said, "How long do you plan to sit down and pet that monster looking to take your hand off, Ian?"

"Wow," Ian said, "you sound like a concerned mother."

"That's because I AM concerned," she stated.

Ian felt like with every tear coming out his sister he could see her heart glimmering like gold. She really did care for him.

"Look," she pinched the bridge of her nose, "I love you, but I can't have you walking into danger when my back is turned."

"I'm in the Marines," I argued.

"You know what I mean," she stated. "Look you can be near the room where it's in, but you can't go in."

" This is going to be hard for you to understand but the reason I joined the Marines is for a little danger. I also think if I don't visit this xeno it will destroy everything to find me."

"Interesting," Julia intervened, "You believe that the connection that you and the xenomorph have is so strong that it would break out to find you. It's a theory that should be studied."

Maryanne turned to Julia, "Are you sure that it will be alright?"

"No," Julia said, "but I would like to study Lucy and Ian before making any final decisions."

"Who's Lucy?" Ian asked.

Julia paused, "The xenomorph."

Maryanne couldn't help but wonder how a normal girl name could be used on such a terrifying monster. Then again, an android came up with the name. Androids do all kinds of things that freak humans out. Maybe it was not intentional, but it freaked Maryanne out nonetheless.

XXX

Julia couldn't believe in this hall she was walking alone by herself.

A few hours later Julia found herself in a hall walking alone by herself. She hated being by herself, she just wanted to get to the lab where she could meet the other scientists.

Suddenly, a cold hand covered her mouth and the next thing that she knew she was in a dark room with the sergeant who harassed her.

"Y-you didn't think a w-woman like you w-wouldn't be someone's s-sexual relief, d-did you?" This man was clearly drunk.

"S-stay away from me!" Julia yelled, but the room they were in was soundproof, no one could here her scream.

The drunken sergeant started to undo his pants, "W-we're gonna have some f-fun."

As he approached the defenseless Julia, something grabbed him from behind and threw him into the nearest wall. Julia knew that given the force of the impact, the sergeant was unconscious, but alive. She looked up and saw Lucy, and she trembled with fear.

What was the xenomorph going to do? It looked like it wanted to eat something. It was odd because their goals were mostly to bring people to be infected by their queen and die afterwards. It's mouth was inches away from Julia's face, Julia braced herself for a violent death that never came.

Just like before it stood perfectly still like it wanted Julia to pet it. Instead, it stood perfectly still like it wanted Julia to pet it. Against her better judgement, she gently pet Lucy on the smooth part of her head. She let out a deep rumbling sound, like the purr of an elephant.

It seemed whether Ian was around or not this xenomorph was harmless. Or maybe it was her recent contact with Ian that made her safe, his scent rubbed off on her and Lucy would not attack anything that smelled like Ian. Either way, it was not attaching Julia. She figured that since sudden moves might make the xenomorph spring in to action, she just remained still and let Lucy rub cheeks with her.

What kind of thing happened to make this things' cheeks not at all disgusting? It was strange that its mouth was not covered in saliva. It felt almost calming to Julia, having her cheeks rubbed by Lucy. If Hal had not pulled her out, she would have fallen asleep. In fact, she had every intention to just fall asleep near Lucy. She wasn't afraid of her.

"What were you doing in there?" Hal asked.

"I was dragged in here about to beded," she stated.

"Where is he now?" He asked with an emotionless face.

"He's still in there," she replied.

What she didn't tell him was there was someone lovely about to take his life. He walked in nonchalantly and dragged the unconscious sergeant out of the room.

"How'd you do that?" Julia asked curiously.

Hal looked her in the eye, "As long as the artificial person does not pose an immediate threat to the xenomorph, or if the xenomorph is calm enough, she will not attack said artificial person."

No xenomorph needed to infect an artificial person, or perhaps they didn't want to.

They had no eyes, so they probably relied on the other four senses, and maybe an extra sense that detected the electrical signals from living things, like a shark. The electrical signals given off by androids are different than that of humans. It was a theory that she came up with in an instant, but maybe the xenomorph did not attack him because it could not sense him.

It looked like they could see things, even without their eyes. Something humans would wish very much to have.

Meanwhile the nightmares were continuing with Ian. He dreamt that he was at the top of a pyramid with a shotgun as xenomorphs were approaching on all sides determined to kill him.

There was no way in hell he could win this very difficult fight.


	3. Chapter 3

**I would like to just tell you I do not own Aliens and Hannibal Rising is a guilty pleasure of mine. The cover for it reminds me of the cover of The Purge. I like how in the end Hannibal learns he also ate his sister like the rest of the Nazi's, I like his uncle's widow, and I like all the times this new actor tries to be like Anthony Hopkins. Still, friends of mine don't like it and critics didn't like it, so I guess it's just me being different.**

XXX

There was no way in hell he could win this very difficult fight, but he was going to go down like a Marine, he was going to go down fighting.

He did rapid fire, the quickest way to lose ammo but the most powerful way to fire a weapon. With seven shots he tool out three of them, three out of three thousand. And he died. They climbed over him with their beastly tongues cutting open his flesh.

He sat up in a cold sweat, it was just a nightmare. Marine or not he hated every minute of that nightmare. He got up, got dressed, and went to see Julia. He walked and walked and ignored every marine he saw until he found her with Lucy.

He was not in the room with her, but he could see her through the monitor. The hardened marine was near a xenomorph. Good thing this xenomorph was Lucy. Even so he was nervous. She had a line of different types of meat in front of her. Those meat must be there for a very important reason.

' _She's probably testing her,_ ' he thought. That's when he noticed that he was calling the alien a 'her'. He was seeing the alien as a person.

It was wrong in every sense of the word, given what these things do, but it felt right to him for some reason. After all he couldn't take care of a creature he was only trained to kill by himself.

It would be better if multiple people took care of her. Through the monitor, he could see that Lucy immediately went for the beef followed by the pork followed by the chicken, but it left the fish and the meat substitute on the floor. Ian wondered what would happen if a xenomorph had venison in front of it, but that question could wait. He didn't know if he should get in there and talk to the both of them.

"Why don't you join them?" Hal asked from behind him.

"Rule number one about Julia: never interrupt her experiments," Ian stated.

Hal would keep that in mind the next time he saw her. Ian remembered when they were little, Julia always insisted on doing her science fair projects herself.

She only had partial science knowledge, but she loved performing experiments that just happened to be scientific. And sometimes this helped her get good grades. She never intended to be a doctor, she always dreamed about being a veterinarian. This was her opportunity to work with an animal, so to speak.

' _I think Maryanne should be there to_ ,' Ian thought to himself, ' _then again she might react harshly toward her._ '

Either way he and his sister's needed to work this out together.

Later that night, he brought Maryanne to the monitor room while everyone else was asleep. Maryanne and Ian could only try to imagine what Julia was doing. When they got into the room and turned on the monitor, they saw Julia sleeping with Lucy. That's right her head was actually resting on skin belonging to an acid carrying creature.

Maryanne was shocked, Julia's head was actually resting on skin belonging to an acid carrying creature.

" Are you sure that's our sister in there?" She asked.

"Yep," Ian stated, "that's defiantly her."

At least she wasn't kissing the acid blood monster.

"That is Lucy," Ian said, "my... daughter."

"You know that was a joke, right?" Maryanne asked.

Ian now felt like a complete idiot for not knowing that. "Hal was the one who gave her the name," Ian stated, "it was not my idea."

Maryanne did not really care what they called this xenomorph, she would much rather learn why her sister was sleeping with it.

Ian answered her unspoken question when he said, "She's been working for a while now studying Lucy, she deserves a good nights rest."

"Maybe it's time I get to watch Lucy and you carry her to bed," Maryanne stated.

Ian smiled, "Alright."

Julia may be a tough person but she wasn't impossible to carry, especially for a Marine.

Maryanne pondered what they saw in a creature that could kill all of them without a second thought. Maybe it was because of the connection between Lucy and Ian. One thing was certain: Maryanne wanted to meet Lucy.

XXX

Maryanne walked to the door while Ian walked out of the room with Julia in his arms.

"I want to go in," Maryanne whispered.

"Okay," he said, "but you need my smell on you or else she might rip your head off."

"I'm covered in oil," she stated, "what should I do about that?"

Ian would first want her to take a bath. Then he got the sick idea they should take a shower together.

"There's an emergency shower in there," Ian said gesturing to Lucy's holding cell. "I can turn off the cameras and you can shower in peace. I left a bar of soap on the stand next to it."

"You're kidding right?" Maryanne asked, "What about... Lucy?"

Ian didn't want to tell her Lucy would be showering with Julia or at least have a sick idea of doing it.

"I'm sure she won't bother you," Ian stated.

Maryanne was happy to hear that. She stepped into the room and saw Lucy, curled next to the shower. This was a place most Xeno's wouldn't step foot into. It was a place most people would not step foot into willingly, the beasts lair. This beast lair however was the only shower she had. When Maryanne approached Lucy, she moved out of the way so she could take a shower.

"Hi Lucy. Want to take a shower with me?" She immediately regretted that question, because Lucy was not a dog, she was a deadly creature without a second thought. Lucy actually did her best to ignore Maryanne. She shrugged and undressed, for extra protection she covered the camera with one of her socks.

The water that came from the emergency shower was luke warm, not too hot or too cold, it was just right. Things were going well until she needed to wash her back.

She couldn't touch any piece of skin without feeling a hard and slimy surface. She couldn't reach the middle of her back with the soap. A warm, yet bony hand rested on her shoulder, it was Lucy. Maryanne trembled in fear, but Lucy did not want to kill her, she wanted to help. Lucy took the bar of soap with her bony hand and rubbed it on her back. She was gentle to her skin, rubbing her back with the soap with care. When Lucy was finished, she stepped back to let Maryanne rinse herself off.

" Umm...thank you."

Lord knows this thing was reading her mind. Then, Lucy stepped into the shower with her, she seemed to enjoy the feeling of the water running off her smooth skin.

"You want me to wash you?" Maryanne asked. Lucy nodded in agreement, she understood her.

Maryanne was a little bit iffy on whether she should touch the skin of it, but what did she have to lose? It was already proven Lucy wasn't here to kill her.

' _Might as well wash it_ ,' she thought to herself.

What Lucy liked was interesting to Maryanne. Most animals do not like to be bathed, but Lucy seemed to enjoy it. It was a surprise they liked water. She picked up the bar of soap and lightly scrubbed the xenomorph's dome. She was a great Xenomorph through all of this.

God, she was talking about her like she was her pet. She was a dangerous creature and if she was a pet the owner would be Ian. Maryanne almost forgot she was naked, she was more focused on the creature that may or may not kill her.

Good thing there were no perverts watching them.

" Would you two get out of that shower please. You've been in there for twenty five minutes!"

It was Hal that yelled at them. He didn't do it to sound mean, but he came off as mean because Maryanne was both spoiling herself and her new pet and using a lot of water in the process. Most marines had a shower where they would take twenty seconds to get wet, turn off the water to rub themselves with shampoo and soap, and then wash it all off.

" Listen now Hal." She turned off the valve. The water was off and Maryanne stepped out. Lucy sat down like a human waiting for Maryanne to leave. " I just need one more minute."

She finished washing Lucy and turned off the water.

"I left spare clothes on the outside of the door and set the door settings to 'manual' so you don't have to open it all the way," Hal said.

" Thank you Hal. At first I thought you finding out about us keeping Lucy would make you tell the other marines so we would be executed. I don't even think there's a rule for people keeping xenomorph's without telling anyone since they want to kill you."

Maryanne wanted to see how Ian was doing. Thanks to manual setting she had to squeeze through the door, a good thing she was thin, and walked down the corridor. If she remembered right Ian was probably outside right now. When she got there, all of the Marines, including Ian, were gearing up to get ready to go into the field.

Seeing her brother gear up to go back into the field that nearly took his life made Maryanne very worried.

"Relax Maryanne," Decaf stated, "I'll be with him the whole time."

"MARINES," the general yelled, "we have a new development."

Maryanne was curious about what new development the general was talking about. He showed them turrets. They were not brand new or anything so why were they bothering to show them. Then he started explaining how the turrets have cameras inside them. It was recording when the Spikey Xenomorphs attacked the normal Xenomorphs.

The footage was poor in quality, everything had a bluish tinge and the footage shifted every few seconds. It showed a single xenomorph approaching the turret when, out of nowhere a xenomorph covered in spikes shoulder charged the normal xenomorph.

This was like watching an action movie except there was no side to cheer on which was more like being in a side of a war and not having a side to follow. Also there was no sound, so it was like a silent movie.

It turns out Ian was planning. Ian figured that they were two separate species of xenomorph. He couldn't think of a scenario where the marines could deal with both species at the same time. It was no good doing this.

"It may be better if we let the two species fight it out," Ian said.

"That may be," Decaf said, "but we have to think about the safety of the people still alive in this colony."

That was true. They were all going to get hurt unless something was there to help them.

"This is still a rescue mission," Decaf stated, "not a bug hunt."

Ian was all for not hunting bugs because of circumstances named Lucy. He did not like to kill things, but he loved the feeling of being a hero. It was like being love by a god, but heroism does not come without sacrifice. He couldn't live knowing all the sacrifice that goes on. People he knew died next to him in the past, he never forgot them.

He should have died himself.

XXX

Several years prior, there was a major riot at a prison. Ian tripped over a rock and a sniper got one of his friends directly behind him. His sisters were not on the trip, if they were they would have comforted him. He tried to get resigned when his company was assigned to go to prison planet Gita 32-11.

If the AI didn't make them change where they were who knew what fate awaited Ian.

Ian inspected his Motion Tracker, which had been cleaned since the last time he used it, when the parasite latched to his face. His pistol, however, needed cleaning. Everyone had an hour to prepare. While Ian and Decaf cleaned their weapons, Decaf updated him on his mission while Ian was out of commission.

" Me and my group rescued a family. You aren't the only one who has been sleeping peaceful lately."

"Yeah," Ian asked, "what happened?"

"First off," he began, "we found out that we are not just on any colony on Romulan 351, we are on the largest colony on the planet. But that is unrelated to the story...

"What we thought was an area only populated by xenomorph's had survivors. A father whom was a plumber, his wife a physiotherapist, and their two unlucky children."

"'Unlucky'?" Ian asked.

"They weren't infected. It's just they were in fear of their lives and it's because their parents brought them to this planet," he explained.

"Ah," Ian said, "where do they go after we rescue them?"

"Well Earth. Earth is where humans belong," he replied.

"I know that smart-ass," Ian snapped.

"Jeez, they're sent to the Spectrum," Decaf said.

"Sorry," Ian apologized, "I'm just nervous about this new mission."

"Okay," he said, "your nervous. My last job was hell and I thought I need a job I could enjoy for the next thirty years, but this was the only job I found where I could be myself."

"What was your previous job?" Ian asked.

He sighed, "I was a Natural Resource and Soil Conservationist."

Ian nodded his head but that sounded like a job that was bathroom cleaning.

"It was a boring desk job," Decaf said.

" So sitting down all the time was worse than running around trying to shoot xenomorph's?"

"There was no rush," Decaf said.

Ian understood that. They got up and joined the rest of their squad. Ian was staying close to Decaf. They were not just friends, they were brothers of war. Julia told him how Decaf was a killing machine trying to revenge the infection of his friend.

Even when he knew that Ian was going to be fine, he felt the need to kill xenomorphs. He wasn't a fool though. An alien blood beast had to be shot away from the head unless there were certain circumstances.

They boarded the APC with the rest of their squad, ready to rescue more families. After the protocol of buckling up and taking deep breaths it started moving. The men inside, with the acceptation of General Santiago, knew where they were going. They knew to watch forward and back because they could come from any angle.

The soldiers had to keep themselves aligned. Ian and Decaf stayed with the general. Ian picked up three blips on his radar, and they were ten meters away.

" Weapons be ready to fire." Decaf said.


	4. Chapter 4

**It's finally the weekend so I could post two chapters a day instead of one. Four chapters in a row isn't bad though. And thanks everyone because looking at the reviews and reading the number of people reading is awesome.**

XXX

"Eyes up, shoot anything that isn't human," General Santiago stated readying his smartgun.

Ian readied his pistol for the xenomorph's. They breached the door when they got to it and found a man with two women... and one of them had a parasite on her face. Poor girl was infected now.

"Dammit," Ian said.

It was harsh on not only the girl but on Ian as well. Ian knew what it felt like to be a victim of a parasite.

"We can save her right?" Decaf asked.

"Only if we move fast," the general said, "if we get her to surgery in time."

Ian guessed that was how he was saved.

"We need a stretcher," Ian said.

The problem was if no one had it on them now they risked being followed and killed by a xenomorph.

"We have a cot that can be used as a stretcher," the man said.

"Get it right now!" General Santiago ordered.

Ian and Decaf grabbed the cot, folded in the legs, and put the woman on the 'stretcher'. Ian assured the girl by stroking her arm that things would be okay. She was about Ian's age, but he did not know what she looked like under the parasite. Perhaps she was pretty. Too bad of the parasite and all.

They got her back to the APV and waited for the rest of the squad. Finally squad members arrived. Their armor was damaged and they saved one person... a baby. Ian was surprised. A baby? Alone? The parents must have abandoned it to save themselves or died, or both. It was wearing a blue onesie with the Weyland Yutani logo on its chest. Someone would have to teach that baby what those symbols mean.

Hopefully it would live to grow up. On the ride back, Ian was surprised to see the marines taking care of it, it was odd to see people who could disassemble and reassemble a pulse rifle in under two minutes could be so gentle. Maybe it had to do with women marines. With the armor on, and with none of them talking, it was hard to tell which of them were women.

Ian didn't really care as long as they were combat efficient.

When they arrived at the base, the four civilians were taken to the medical center, where three out of four of them were given a clean bill of health. The fourth one was taken into surgery.

Ian waited with all of them until they were taken away. The last woman had to stay longer than the others they rescued, she had to stay for a minimum of three full days. It was days she needed to get the parasite off, get her surgery, and her recovery which involved a twenty-four hour quarantine. At least she was sleeping through it all.

Ian reunited with his sisters and gave them a hug. He missed them so much and it was a good feeling knowing they were all safe. They missed him so much and it was a good feeling knowing he was safe. They hated the idea of him being in danger after what happened the last time. Ian hated to think what happened last time could happen again.

"Julia," Ian said in a stern voice, "we found a baby."

Julia was glad to hear the soldiers managed to pick up a baby.

"You are the one assigned to take care of it," Ian said.

Julia was sure she wasn't one of the soldiers who brought her back.

"You're a doctor and you were the one they voted for," Ian said, "I voted that it should be given to one of the civilians."

Julia silently thanked Ian who telling them what she wanted him to say.

"However," he continued, "I was outvoted."

Julia should've known that would happen.

"Look," he said, "you're a doctor, I'm sure you can handle one baby."

Julia took the baby to heal it.

"We don't know his name," he stated, "so call him 'John Smith' until we figure it out."

"Wait," she said, "doesn't each colony have DNA samples from it's colonists?"

Ian knew she was right.

"There must be some records," Ian said, "I will check."

He walked to the room where they keep the records. All of the files were digital, and Ian did not know anything about computers. He could however sleuth his way through a battlefield of aliens.

"Hey," a voice behind him said, "I can help with that."

Julia froze hearing the voice of someone who would help. It was a female marine. Julia knew her as the Jamie. She was funny, strong and brave like any hardened marine, and sophisticated. She was probably the most feminine out of all the marines because she had access to all kinds of cleansing materials like shower and deodorant and didn't like bad smelling odors.

"I can help you take care of the little one if you want," Jamie stated.

Julia was relieved, she had no children of her own so she had no idea what to do with it. The best thing to do was work with someone else. She carefully handed Jamie the baby and went to help Ian with the computer. Ian was happy because he was unable to even start the computers. Julia could and it showed when they reached the room.

She pressed the power button and all of the computers whirred to life. After a few buzzes the screen finally showed to a control section. She scrolled threw the files until she came across the population of Genesis Rising. She narrowed down the list of over one million people to only infant boys, and they narrowed it down to about one thousand. That was one thousand infant boys to look at.

"Any identifying marks or features on the baby?" Ian asked.

"That narrows down the search to five," Julia said, "what's the birthmark look like?"

"It looks like a car but with the front part of a pet dog," Jamie said.

"Got it," Julia stated, "James Edward Morrison Jr., the son of Morrison Sr. and Serena Pratchett."

Ian had to remember those parents' names, in case he ran into them. He wasn't sure if he ever would though, but at least he knew the infant's name.

" Can I leave now?" Julia asked.

"Sure," Ian said, "you should check on the people we just brought in."

Julia didn't mean that in leaving but she decided to look at the people. The man and the woman that weren't infected were dehydrated, but in otherwise perfect condition. Ian felt a little dehydrated himself, so he went to find some water. He was lucky the cleanest water wasn't far away. In a nearby vending machine.

His pockets felt empty and he hoped they weren't because fear and survival left a bad scar on his memory. Thankfully one of the other marines already broke into the vending machine. Bad behaviour but Ian was thankful.

He took two bottles of water and went to find Maryanne. His sister could not be hiding somewhere hard to find, she was actually at a makeshift gun-range testing her accuracy. Knowing her she had to have perfect luck to get accuracy right every time. Of course, she did not have perfect luck, but she had skill. Skills Ian could only dream of having. She once shot a bullet in mid air, she kept the mashed bullets in her pocket for luck. Imagine keeping that in your pocket. They were small yet jagged. Everyone who looks at them could tell why they're jagged.

Ian found Maryanne shooting a pistol. It was very loud when she fired a pistol because she fired the most powerful one. Ian never got to use a pistol as powerful as that one. It was not a standard marine pistol, it was a Desert Eagle, the most powerful pistol on Earth.

"Hey Maryanne," Ian said.

"Hey Ian," Maryanne said putting the pistol down.

"I have things to talk to you about," Ian said.

"What do you want?" Maryanne asked.

"I have two bottles of water," he stated, "want one?"

"Hell yes," she stated ripping it from his hand.

Ian could use something cold in his mouth, so he took a drink from his own bottle. It reminded him of a history book where water was kept in cold refrigerators.

"Very refreshing," he said to himself.

Maryanne giggled when he felt more refreshed.

"You sound pleased with yourself," she stated.

Ian felt s little flustered she said that.

Maryanne was thinking about Lucy.

"How's your daughter?" She asked.

"Lucy?" Ian asked, "I don't know I left her alone."

"Someone like her should not be left alone for too long," she stated.

"Want to run with me to her room?" Ian asked.

"Let's go," she said starting to run.

XXX

Meanwhile, inside Lucy's room, Lucy was crawling on the walls. Hal watched her very carefully. Lucy was not an animal that wanted to be in a cage, she wanted to be free. Unfortunately leaving the room alone could mean instant death, for her and the marines. Her loneliness was cured by Ian and Maryanne walking in.

They were her friends and they looked happy to see her. However, Lucy herself felt sad not being among others of her species. Ian couldn't bring her to them because they would want to eat him. Maybe if the woman's surgery is a success, Lucy will have a friend of her own species. There was a small possibility it would be a success. Very small.

He was talking about man slaughtering xenomorph's.


	5. Chapter 5

**I would like to thank a reviewer for giving me and my coauthor an idea on how to continue the story. I don't know how we are going to continue this story but I felt great when Burke123 told me to check my email for your review. That is all.**

XXX

" Any ideas Maryanne."

"Sorry," she said scratching Lucy's neck, "I wasn't paying attention."

Ian felt like he was doing a dummy procedure.

"I said: What do you think will happen if the other xenomorph that's attached to that woman is put in here?" Ian stated.

Maryanne opened her mouth wondering if she should say something but ran outside instead.

' _Is she running to the infected woman_?' Ian wondered.

Lucy rubbed her head against his. She didn't care right now where Maryanne was running off to. She had Ian all to herself, and she wanted to have some fun (not sexual). Ian didn't feel like having fun, but *she* did.

Until today he imagined xenomorph's only having fun killing people, but Lucy liked having fun in a more human way. All he could think was how Lucy was more like a cat than a vicious alien.

She would follow a laser pointer across the floor, walls, and ceiling. Ian had to make sure he had a laser pointer. He used the detached laser sight from his pistol. Now it was a harmless laser pointer and it was fun watching her chase it.

He had her first chase it to a wall and then in a circle where her tail wouldn't whiplash and hit him, and then he led her to the ceiling where she ran in circles.

"What a fun girl you are," Ian said to her.

Lucy wouldn't stop being so fun and then Maryanne walked in.

"You'll never guess what just happened with me," Maryanne said.

"What happened?" Ian asked as Lucy landed on the floor behind him.

"I saw Julia with the infected woman," she stated, "the parasite is off of her face, her surgery will start as soon as it can."

"That's good right?" Ian asked.

"Maybe," she said somberly, "she still might die."

Ian didn't want her to die.

"C'mon," Maryanne grabbed his wrist, "you should meet her."

Ian was pulled out of the room leaving Lucy behind. This was a miserable alone moment for Lucy. But she knew he'd be back, she was much smarter than she was letting on.

XXX

Ian finally got to the room. The woman was very attractive. As a marine he would do anything to be with an attractive woman, her chances were slim, but he hoped that she would make it.

" Hey Ian," said Maryanne.

"Yeah," Ian asked,

"She's in quarantine," she stated, "but if you want to talk to her you can put on the hazmat suit."

Ian immediately went towards the suit. He put it on and went inside.

The people that would be operating on her paid him no mind. Who better to comfort an infected woman than someone who was once infected himself.

Ian didn't talk to them. He went straight in.

' _I wonder if she can see me through this visor._ '

She was moving her face to look directly at him.

"Hello there," Ian said, "I am Private Ian Gipper."

" Private Ian Gipper?" She repeated.

"I'm a marine," Ian said.

"Serena Pratchett," she stated. She was the mother of the infant James Edward Morrison Jr.

Ian wondered where the father was for her child.

"I got separated from my husband and baby when we were told to evacuate," she stated.

"Your baby will be fine and don't give up on your husband just yet," Ian stated, "your son is safe."

She started crying, happy that her baby was safe. Seeing her cry was like a long musical note. It was beautiful but sad, and he meant really sad.

"I know what you're going through," Ian said, "I had an alien inside me too."

"You did?" She asked.

"I'd show you the scar, but I have too keep on the hazmat suit," Ian stated, "you just have to take my word for it."

From the look in her eyes she did believe him.

"You will be asleep the whole time," Ian said, "you won't feel a thing."

That was a nice way to recover from an infection. She smiled. Her smile made Ian smile as well. When Ian returned, Julia hugged him. Ian didn't expect this to happen. He expected Maryanne. She must have heard something from Maryanne.

"Ian," she said, "Decaf's been hurt."

" What? He's hurt?"

"He shot a xenomorph at close range," she explained, "the acid blood got on his skin."

"Could that xenomorph be Lucy? Was he in the field? How could a xenomorph sneak inside?" Ian asked.

"He was in the field," she stated.

The chance of it being Lucy was now minimum. He knew that she was safe. Better then safe was she was still the first xenomorph to not kill a human.

"Decaf's fine," she reassured, "he's just in intensive care."

Ian let out a sigh of relief. His best friend was still alive. Ian should do the same thing for Decaf as he did for Serena.

"I'll visit him," Ian said.

Ian rushed to the hospital bed of Decaf. His face and his left shoulder were covered in bandages, except for his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. Ian didn't know if he was brave enough to speak to Decaf seeing how he looked like.

"Make one mummy joke and I _will_ kick you," Dacaf stated.

That was more said as a friend then a bully saying it.

"Don't tempt me," Ian retorted.

And there he saw Decaf smile.

"How are you?" Ian asked.

"Pretty good... given the circumstances," he answered.

" When do you think we can see you fight again?"

"I'm not sure," he said, "ask the nurse."

As if on cue, Julia stepped into the room, she was his nurse. She had a pin in her chest only a nurse would wear. It was a white pin with a red cross on it. Ian let her do what she went there to do, so he left the room and went to see Lucy.

He wasn't sure what her reaction would be. He just hoped for the best. He didn't say her name because someone could hear him. When Ian stepped foot in Lucy's room, he was surprised to see Hal. He looked like a ten year old on Christmas; being with the creature that he loved to study.

"Good to see you again Ian," Hal said calmly.

"The hell are you doing in here?" Ian asked.

"Medical exam," he stated.

Ian didn't know Hal was there for that reason.

"Oh... um," he rubbed the back of his neck, "how is she?"

"I believe the saying is... 'healthy as a horse'?" He stated.

It was odd comparing this thing to a horse. Lucy seemed almost ignorant of Hal's presence. That was a good thing. Because he was an android, he did not give off a human scent. Also xenomorph's don't take androids to their nests to impregnate them.

" Perhaps I can do something for you Hal."

"Sure," Hal said, "I need you to keep her calm while I take a blood sample."

Ian walked over to Lucy looking at her like she was a dog who wanted to be pet. He rubbed her smooth head. She purred like a kitten when he touched her. She trembled as the needle went in her arm. Ian didn't want her to feel any fear.

"It's okay," Ian said, "it's fine."

Lucy paid attention to his soothing voice.

"Done," Hal said. "Amazing, the xenomorph blood acts like normal blood to us, it's already starting to scab."

Ian couldn't believe this information.

"Not surprising," he stated, "xenomorphs tend to contain the DNA of the animal they impregnate, in Lucy's case a human. I once saw a parasite attach itself to a horse, when the xenomorph emerged it walked on all fours and had hooves."

Ian wanted to get that disturbing image out of his head.

"How'd you find this... xeno-horse," Ian asked.

"I've been places and did a lot of scientific tests," Hal said, "the experiment was entirely android operated. Two eggs, two animals, one room. The experiment proved two things, anything larger than a chicken could be impregnated, and they need the right mouth for... impregnating."

Ian blinked when he said impregnating.

"Why two?" Ian asked.

"One was dissected, the other was studied alive and then released when the experiment was finished," he answered.

Ian didn't know they released xenomorph's.

"It was a barren planet," Hal said, "they either died or set up their own colony."

Colonies were the worst things for xenomorph's to have.

"They live like ants," Hal stated, "They devote their lives to the Matriarch, and in the absence of a Matriarch they either curl up and die or they become Matriarch's themselves."

Ian would pick becoming the Matriarch himself if he lived the same kind of life as them, he liked the idea of being in charge.

He couldn't be in charge of Hal or Lucy though. He'd just have to settle for who he was. He was a marine. He followed orders. He fought for his life and fought to keep his comrades safe.

Ian soon wondered what Maryanne was doing. So he went to look for her. He started back in the quarantine area, but she wasn't there. He looked in the clean water fountain for her. She was there, but she was not drinking, she was sleeping. How could she be sleeping in a hall like this?

"She probably worked herself to sleep," Ian said to himself.

He could carry her to her own bed because she couldn't stay sleeping on this floor, what evidence does he have she was going to wake up soon?

He carried her bridal style to a cot where she could rest. He felt a little tired after carrying her. So he slept in the cot next to her.

' _Goodnight Maryanne_ ,' he thought.

He slept like a baby.

During the night Serena Pratchett was having her surgery. It was a success. She was now uninfected. She was still quarantined, but the xenomorph was not only out of her body, but it was with Lucy as well.

Lucy was however kept a secret from Serena. Until she could mentally cope with what happened. The surgery made her tired. So she slept through the night, and she dreamed of kittens. She knew she wouldn't find any here, but they were happy thoughts on a cruel planet.

Speaking of cruel her husbands corpse was found later that day with a hole in his chest. He didn't survive being infected. The bad news was not broken to her until she could mentally handle it, but she would probably start asking questions.

The other marines had to hold the information back. It was a good thing people were too intimidated by marines to ask them questions. Ian decided to go see Serena.

He almost jumped out of the bed waking up. He guessed the reason he wanted to see her was she was cute. What stopped him from trying to know more about her was she had a husband and he knew nothing could happen while she thought her husband was alive.

Finally he got to her room. She was asleep, but alive and not infected. Ian was going to talk to her, but he had no idea what to say. Maybe something to calm her down. Just then, Jamie stepped out of the shadows with James Edward Morrison Jr.

Ian was happy to see the little baby. It would be a great way to get on her good side. They both went in together.

" Hello." Ian said.

She looked at them, and her face lit up when she saw her baby. That was a good face. She was happy. Ian wanted to see more of that smile.

She embraced her baby and kissed his head. She was happy he survived, Jamie and Ian decided to leave her alone while she reconnected.

" I think the pretty girls should live and leave this planet," Ian said.

"I for one am staying," Jamie stated, "am I not pretty?"

Ian didn't know how to answer or really how he felt answer Jamie.

" Yes Jamie you are too pretty to die."

She appreciated his response. Ian did think most girls around the base were pretty. Of course, several had scars on their faces, but Ian did not care. Scars meant they needed love just as much as he did.

Maryanne appeared out of nowhere, "I saw that you know."

"What?" He asked.

"I saw you going all goo-goo eyed for that widow that I have yet to learn the name of," she stated.

Ian was busted by his sister.

"Crap," he mumbled to himself.

"I'm happy you like girls but a widow?" She asked.

"She's very beautiful," Ian stated, "why would being a widow affect anything?"

Maryanne didn't know how to answer that question.

"Exactly," Ian stated.

"She probably will never marry you," Maryanne stated.

"Dude!" Ian exclaimed.

"No matter how many times you sleep with her she won't want a husband after what happened," she said holding up her finger.

"It's not like it's going to happen tonight," Ian argued, "I want to take it slow."

Maryanne could understand taking it slow.

"Eventually she'll have to know the truth about her dead husband," she stated.

Ian was sure she wouldn't take that news well.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Ian said

Maryanne liked that answer and she smiled.

" Yes there is." She said patting him on the shoulder.

"You remind me of mom sometimes," he stated, "in a good way."

Maryanne was happy to hear that.

"There's a bad way to describe mom?" She teased.

She was right and Ian knew that.

They hugged. Ian was happy to finally have this hug with her.

"Want to go see Lucy?" Ian asked.

"Won't it be awkward with two xenos in there?" She asked.

"I'm sure it will be fine," he stated patting her on the shoulder.

Maryanne trusted what her brother said was the right thing. When they got to the room, they found Lucy and the new xenomorph sleeping together like cats.

It was nice seeing xenomorph's sleep where they wouldn't attack other people. That changed when the xenomorph was not Lucy woke up. It looked at Ian, then it looked at Maryanne, and then she hissed.

" Why is it hissing at us?" Maryanne asked Ian.

"It' doesn't know us," Ian guessed, "it sees us as a threat."

There was no way they could fight a xenomorph without weapons. Thankfully, Lucy awoke and got between them and the xenomorph. It hissed and she hissed back at it.

"Come back later?" Ian asked.

"Yeah," she replied, "let's come back later."

They made an exit towards the door and closed it behind them. They could not go back inside for a while. It all depended on what was happening with what was through that door and opening made the risk of a xenomorph clawing their faces off.

Maybe if Serena was with them they could visit the xenomorphs. Ian and Maryanne were both thinking the same thing. They decided to try and get Serena to go with them into the room... but they needed help from Hal. As much as Ian hated androids, Hal was starting to grow on him.

" You think we should tell Hal?"

Maryanne nodded her head.

"If we have to," Ian said.

She did have the need to talk to Hal.

"Let's go," she said.

Ian and her went to find Hal. He was where he always was, monitoring Lucy and the new xenomorph.

" Hey Hal," said Ian.

"Ah Ian," Hal said not looking away from the monitors, "I figured you would come here.

" Is that right? What made you think I would come here?"

"Because I heard you on the monitors," he said.

Ian was ashamed for not knowing that information. He grumbled under his breath. Hal got off his seat though.

"You want me to arrange a meeting between you, Serena, Lucy, and Amy," he said.

"'Amy?'" Ian asked.

Ian nodded his head even though he had no clue who Amy was.

"Amy is the new arrival," he stated.

"We need to get Serena in there," Ian stated, "and I need to be with her."

Maryanne was stunned by what Ian said.

"I have to be with her because if I'm not Lucy will attack her," Ian stated.

"And her xenomorph will attack you if she's not there," Hal stated.

Ian could guess that, "How do we get her there willingly?"

"Well I can try sending a female to her ward since she trusts females," Hal suggested.

"Jamie took care of her baby while she was comatose," Ian suggested.

"Jamie it is," Hal said.

Hal walked to the room he saw Jamie in the monitors.

"She's in her room," he said.

Ian didn't know if he had to follow Hal.

"We should wait until the morning," Ian said.

The mystery to Hal was if they should wake.

"We should wait until the morning," Ian said.

Hal guessed that was the human's decision.


	6. Chapter 6

**Burke123 was at school while I posted this chapter. I used to post chapters in school on my breaktime. Now I am posting it on a table watching movies. Thank you for all your followings and advice.**

XXX

"Very well," Hal said, "goodnight."

Ian knew androids probably didn't sleep. So he just assumed that meant 'leave him alone'. Ian would gladly leave him alone. He needed to rest. They both needed the energy for the plan.

They rested, and they dreamed. Ian was dreaming about what all young boys wanted. A cute girl to love forever. He first imagined the sides below her armpit then her curvy waist. Her chest was breathtaking to say the least.

And then he saw her face, It was Serena. She was the woman he was dreaming of.

He had to get to know her better. But when he was awake and not sleeping like he was now. He was nervous. Nervous about girls and aliens.

He had never felt more confused. This was beyond marines feelings. These were a man's feelings. Ian was trying so hard to understand them. But he decided to ask Julia for help.

He first woke up then he got dressed in casual clothes. He felt ready to talk to Julia, confident even.

"Julia can I talk to you?" He asked.

"Of course," she said.

"I need your help... with a woman," he stated.

She scoffed, "I'm sorry, How old are you?"

He knew it sounded stupid at first but there was more to explain.

" I'm twenty two years old, remember."

"And yet you still act like a kid around women," she could not hold back her laughter.

Ian wished she could see his pain.

"Don't worry Ian," she put a hand on his shoulder, "I'll help you in any way that I can."

While they talked, they heard footsteps in the background, marines were sent out once again on a recovery/extermination mission.

It was a good thing his xenomorph's were safe.

"Start by being a friend to her," she said.

Ian felt that wasn't what he was aiming for before.

"From there you will develop a special bond," she continued, "you will be the guy she can depend on without her husband, and when the truth is revealed about her husband, you will be there to comfort her."

"You are an evil genius," Ian stated, "I like it."

She made her best evil smile.

They hugged. She hugged better than him. He loved his Julia as a sister, she always gave him the best advice.

Now was a good time to use that advice. He walked into the room where Serena was. She was sitting on the floor looking depressed.

"What's wrong?" Ian asked.

She wiped a tear from her face, "I have an empty feeling in my chest, like something's missing."

"Literally or emotionally?" Ian asked, "Because it's natural to feel that when you've had the removal surgery."

She chuckled, "I miss my husband."

Ian felt like such an idiot now.

"Not sure what to say right now," Ian stated.

She smiled but weakly.

"You need something from me?" She asked.

"Um," Ian rubbed the back of his neck, but he tried to sound as serious as possible, "you should come with me."

She was reluctant at first, but she followed him to the surveillance room where Hal was waiting for them.

"Good Morning," he shook her hand, "I am Hal, a medical android."

"What's a medical android doing in a surveillance room?" Serena asked.

"I was reassigned to observe the pair of xenomorphs extracted from you and Ian," he stated.

She was stunned, they kept the 'monsters' inside their makeshift military base.

Hal pointed at one of the xenomorphs, "This one is Lucy, she came from Ian," then he pointed at the other one, "This one is Amy, she came from..."

"Me," she interrupted.

"Correct," he stated, "the pair are actually pretty tame. The theory is that they are tame because their hosts survived."

"What do they eat?" She asked

"Beef, pork, and chicken," he answered, "you can thank Julia the nurse for finding that out, otherwise they would have starved."

While this meeting was going on Ian couldn't help but ponder why xenomorph's have not attacked the base.

Not only that, but why had there been only a few casualties. Only one person had actually died. That person's death however was not something that nobody didn't want to stop.

However, that question could wait. What was important at that moment was getting Amy and Serena together.

Ian could do it. But he would have to go with her.

"If you want to go in you can," Hal said.

"I have to go with you," Ian stated.

Hal looked into Ian's eyes and knew he was right.

"He's right," Hal stated.

Ian was glad Hal could see things his way.

Serena was reluctant, she rambled incoherently in fear. Ian had to try talking to her.

"I can hold you're hand," he said without thinking.

Again, she was reluctant at first, but then she accepted.

" Thank you for convincing me Ian."

"This is a bad idea," she stated, "thank you for convincing me Ian."

They finally went where Ian wanted her to go.

"Are you ready?" Ian asked clenching her hand.

She nodded her head over how ready she was.

"Let's go," she said.

The door opened and they walked into the room. What did they find in this room? They found two xenomorph's.

The door opened and they walked into the room. They found Lucy and Amy, and they were asleep.

"Don't be scared," Ian said.

"I'mnotscaredwhatmakesyouthinkI'mscared?" she asked hysterically.

"Because you're squeezing my hand so tight that I can't feel my fingers," Ian stated.

She gasped at how tight she was squeezing his fingers.

"Sorry," she yelped.

Lucy and Amy woke up and approached. Amy was looking at Serena and Lucy was staring at Ian. Lucy stroked Ian's hair and Amy rubbed the smooth part of her head against Serena's arm. They were like pets and Serena's fear of them was melting away.

They weren't the same as the savage alien's. She began to pet Amy, and she let out a deep purr, like the purr of an elephant. Loud but kind of cute.

Serena smiled. They would eventually fall asleep in that room. Ian was happy to sleep with three females even if two of them were not human. But the love he had for the human one made the sleep worth it.

It was probably Serena's best night's sleep in a while. It was like sleeping in heaven. She had not felt that way since... her husband... when she was with Ian, Amy, and Lucy, she felt whole. She still did not know the true fate of her husband but she had to be told soon.

She hoped for someone to lay with her. She wished that it would be her husband, but Ian was just as comforting. They slept pleasantly. That ended when they both woke up.

It felt cold in this room now. Almost sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit. That was a very cold temperature. Serena and Ian decided to leave the room.

They left holding hands. It was the same way they went in. When they left they saw other people. She released his hand.

"Hi," she said to someone who walked by, eager to ignore the tension between her and Ian.

Ian couldn't ignore that tension. All he could think about was her. He spent a night with her after all. But talking to her directly was still a problem, she needed to know the fate of her dead husband.

"Take me to the person who works in the Forensic Pathology," Serena said.

"Do you mean the person who does autopsy's on dead bodies?" Ian asked, "Why?"

"If my husband's dead, I will find my husband with the other dead bodies," she explained.

Ian couldn't stop her. But it would be better if she found out on her own, instead of someone telling her. Ian respected that for her and he decided to go with her.

She was moving very fast eager to know the fate of her husband.

" Hello miss," the man wearing gloves and an apron said.

"I'm looking for the body of James Edward Morrison Sr.," she said.

" He's here. I'm sorry for your loss." he stated somberly. Serena wrapped her arms around Ian and sobbed.

Ian knew she would be crying over this matter.

He hugged her back.

" It's okay. He wanted to be alive and be with you."

"He made me happy," she sobbed.

Ian would be sobbing like this if Julia or Maryanne died. He did not know what to say, so he just held her tight. But soon he would have to let her go and so he did. She went back to her room to be with her baby, whom Jamie was watching.

Ian had his own places to go to. He went to see Maryanne, she was still in her room but he walked in when she was almost done changing. To avoid the situation being awkward, he stepped back outside.

" Ian is that you?" He heard his sister say.

"Y-yeah," Ian stammered.

" I'm coming out now."

She was wearing her normal mechanics outfit, but it was clean, not a single oil stain.

Ian doubted he was dressed any cleaner. "I need to talk to you about something," he stated.

"What do you need Ian?" She asked.

" Well a table I can sit with that girl I walked around with."


	7. Chapter 7

**This is the last chapter I can post in a short amount of time. Give me and my co-author Burke123 time I believe after Christmas and the next chapter will be there. This is however a long chapter. I hope you enjoy it.**

XXX

Maryanne was only doing it because she was interested in her brother finding a girl. But she did not like her. She was not the right girl for her brother. She wanted her to be more... like her.

She was thinking too much. It was his choice. She just had to let him have his table and listen to whatever he talked about. Which she would when the girl he said would show up was sitting on that table.

"Is that all you needed?" She asked.

Ian smiled and nodded to his sister. They hugged. She felt warm against him.

He reminded her of their father, strong yet gentle. He of course could not be on the planet, he was safe back on Earth. There was a chance of them taking over planet Earth though. If one xenomorph came to Earth and was not stopped immediately, the earth would be doomed.

How sad and heartbreaking that would be?

Eventually, it was time for supper. Ian sat down as the woman he wanted to sit with sat down with him.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Ian asked.

" Well, you seem like the nicest boy here. Can you tell me how you survived here so long?"

"I have friends and family here with me," Ian stated, "and I avoid the people that irritate me."

"Well you have to met people who irritate you before meeting people you admire," she said.

"That is true," he stated.

He did go through an experience like hers.

"I like you're eyes," she said, "green is my favorite color."

Ian felt that was just a friendly lie. He liked her saying it though.

"Thank you," he said drinking his horrible tasting coffee.

Lots of food in this ship was fake. But it was better than starving. It was like putting spinach in a loaf of bread.

"You really drink this all the time?" She asked.

" We have no choice. It is part of being a marine."

"You get used to it eventually," Ian stated.

She felt like she was getting use to it now.

"So where'd you grow up?" She asked.

" I grew up in Chicago. My favorite thing to do was film class where I tried to make my own movies."

"Did any get finished?" She asked.

" One. I watched Warrior's of Virtue and hated it so much I wanted to make my own humanoid creatures of my favorite animals who fight in a mystical land to show that dumb movie how much better I can do with a bigger budget. I choose lizard people."

"How'd it go?" She asked.

" Pretty good. We beat Warrior's of Virtue in our ratings. The only downside was it wasn't hard."

"How is that a downside?" She asked.

" I don't know. I wanted to see if we could make a movie even better then Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Arc but I was sent here."

" Maybe it's not the end of that idea."

"Agreed," she said.

" Have you finished your disgusting food?"

"Yes I have," Ian stated.

It was time for them to go somewhere else. They went to the room where they kept Amy and Lucy. They were just crawling around looking for something to do.

"Yes I have," Ian stated.

Their hope arised after their two favorite human's walked in. They spun in circles in excitement.

" Easy girls. We are here to have fun with you."

They relaxed.

Ian first petted Lucy's head and then Serena scratched Amy's neck.

" Ah!"

"What?"

" Why is she scratching her neck?"

Serena was scratching Amy the xenomorph's neck, there was a chance she could make blood spill out. Amy acted like a dog, thumping her leg on the ground.

" Do you need to calm down or are you excited?" Ian asked.

Amy hid behind Serena's legs. Serena was actually making an alien friend that almost killed someone and acted like a cat. In other words she was getting to be more like Ian who made an alien friend that acted like a dog. Speaking of which Lucy was running her face against his hand.

"They act like pets," Serena stated.

" To us maybe." Ian said.

"To everyone else they are ruthless killers."

Ian and Serena knew surviving those facehuggers amounted to something. They were the only two people in history to survive an alien chestburster. That called for more petting. It was a rare opportunity and they were not going to waste it.

Lucy liked it and so did Amy. Ian and Serena also enjoyed their company. There was however a looming fear of aliens attacking them. One of the marines from ten rooms away could feel that. It was Decaf. After he was hospitalized, he had a lingering fear of being killed.

At some point he had to think being killed was a part of life. He did not want to die just yet. He wanted to breath fresh air and meet women. He had a woman in mind, Ian's sister Julia. Tonight he would try confessing to her. But it would not be easy, she was his best friend's sister. But she was unbelievably pretty.

His favorite thing about her was she was kind of eccentric. She did weird things that Decaf liked. That's why he wanted her to like him. But she was a pacifist, and he was a soldier. Maybe opposites attract though. There was only one way to find out.

He walked to her bedroom door. He knocked on her door. Hopefully she was in her room either asleep or awake. She was awake and answered the door.

" Decaf? What's going on?" She asked rubbing her right eye.

"Um... I... um," he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Xeno got your tongue?" She asked. He did not know what to say, he stuttered when he talked to women he liked.

"Y-y-y-y-y-you w-w-w-w-w-w-w-want t-t-t-t-t-t-to...Are you asking me if I want to have sex?"

"N-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-no!" Decaf exclaimed, "D-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-drink w-w-w-w-w-w-with m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-me?"

She chuckled because that sounded like a sweet request.

"Sure," she said, "but you need to work on your speaking voice."

He knew that. He would not forgive himself the next time he talked to her he sounded like he just did, but he never knew when the call to arms was going to happen.

" What do you usually drink?" She asked him.

Decaf closed his eyes and hoped for the best, "F-fake c-coffee."

She was silent, "The joke is there, should I say it?"

He shook his head. There was no need to say it.

"Okay," she said, "mess hall, tonight, bring the fake beer."

That sounded like a date to him. And he was happy. The only thing that could ruin it would be if he had to drink the coffee first.

Secretly, Julia was just as nervous as he was. She first decided to change her clothes. The nicest clothes that she had was a sweatshirt and black jeans. They would have to do. Decaf had only sleeveless shirts and beige pants. There were no tailors who could make him new things.

So he went with his cleanest clothes. He went to where Julia's bedroom was. She was so beautiful. He was tongue tied. When he tried to speak, no words came out, only an odd, high-pitched moan.

She actually found that funny. But she restrained herself.

" I found something to put in the coffee to make it taste better."

Decaf closed his eyes, "W-w-what?"

"It's powderized creamer," she stated. "Did you bring the fake beer?"

He showed her the fake beer.

"Sweet," she said.

" I guess that's more what the powderized creamer is."

Decaf chuckled. She wasn't wrong about that. But it wasn't about the taste it was about the conversations. They talked about the past and what they had planed for their futures.

"I'm going to stay a solider, just on a different planet," Decaf stated.

"I want to be an Earth doctor," Julia stated.

" Any chance an army Doctor?"

"Maybe," she said.

" My job will mostly be destroying aliens."

She did not speak, as a pacifist she did not like talking about violence. It sounded like a lot of war he was heading into. She could not explain it, but she did not want to see him hurt.

Maybe it was just concern because she knew lots of men have died from alien's. Or was it something else?

" Julia are you in here?" A person asked knocking on her door.

It was Serena.

" Why are you here?" Julia asked her.

" I want to ask you about Ian."

"What about Ian?" She asked.

Something that I don't want to say in front of... him," she said gesturing towards Decaf.

" Do you want me to leave because I will only do it when Julia asks me too, not you."

"Easy there doggie," she said, "play nice."

The marine played nice for her. He left without a word.

" Thank you for helping me get rid of him," Serena said.

"What do you want to know about Ian?" Julia asked.

" Why do you think he has been spending so much time with me?"

"He likes you," she said, "I figured that'd be obvious."

She blushes at the thought of Ian liking her. In a way she liked him back. Julia just found their infatuations cute. She knew that Maryanne did not like her though. At least one of the sisters did.

"What else would you like to know about him?" Julia asked

" Why is he a marine solider?"

"He has a fighting spirit," she said, "he always had one."

Serena tried to remember when he showed her his fighting spirit. When they were kids, Julia, Maryanne, and Ian were picked on by bullies. Maybe they were burdened a lot as children. And Ian would always stand up to the bullies, even if he constantly got the tar kicked out of him. That part of him would never change.

"One day when I was young, a bully took away my computer," she said, "Ian tracked him down and got my computer back, he also returned with two black eyes and a broken wrist. He's my hero."

She blinked at the part of the two black eyes. The bully was either vicious or Ian had some real courage. Maybe both.

" Thank you for this information."

"You're welcome," she said.

She learned a little bit about Julia and Julia learned a bit about Serena. But Serana wanted to learn more, so she searched for Maryanne, even if she knew she hated her.

Luckily she was walking through the hall chugging down a bottle of water. So she did not have to go far. Maryanne saw her and scowled at her.

"What do you want?" She snapped.

" I-I just want to ask you about Ian."

"What do you want to know," she asked, "who his fantasy girlfriend is?"

Serena shook her head.

"Why are you so defensive about him?" She asked.

" He's my only brother and he's been through Hell."

"What kind of Hell?" She asked pretending to not know.

" He is the first person to survive a chestburster coming out of his chest."

"I did that too," Serena stated.

Maryanne took a drink trying to think of how to react to her survival.

"Just because you have one thing in common you think that you can get in his pants?" She asked.

She blushed heavily at the thought of her hands being in his pants.

"That's not what I want at all," she said.

Maryanne took a sip again.

"Then what do you want with my bro?" She asked.

She sheepishly twirled her finger into her hair trying to muster the courage to tell her.

" Maybe ask him for another chat where we get to know each other better."

"I don't trust you," Maryanne stated.

" Fine. I can ask him myself if he wants to talk. I'm a big girl."

"Are you sure about that?" Maryanne asked.

Serena huffed a little before answering Maryanne. " I can. If he's interested in me or just sees me as a friend that's enough reason why your decision to not help me or like me doesn't matter."

"Do what you want," she said, "but if you do anything to hurt my little brother, I will make you my own... personal... hand puppet."

Maryanne walked towards her so she could get by her. And she brushed her shoulder as she passed. Serena rubbed that shoulder after Maryanne had left.

"That woman is a rock," she stated to herself.

That was all she could say and all she wanted to say. She went to her room and went to sleep, meanwhile Ian was in the xenomorph's room.

He was starting to feel like Amy, Serena's xenomorph, was warming up to him. But he would have to go to bed soon. The xenomorphs were reluctant to let him go. He was a good person. And he was good to them.

Never a day went by he didn't think about them nor did they stop thinking about him. This was all fine but life had some difficulties. They were clingy. It was kind of suffocating at times. But it was better than them killing him.

" What would you want me to do Lucy?" Ian asked Lucy.

She just purred.

"Of course you can't talk," he said.

He didn't know what he was thinking. Maybe she could understand him, but she could not respond to him. He just knew he could sleep easy around her.

She was nice to him.

XXX

Maryanne was drunk in a corner. She was losing her ability to stand straight because of it.

"What does that *hic* woman want with my *hic* brother?" She asked herself.

She was stuck in a base so money was unlikely. The only thing that made sense was that Serena wanted to sleep with him.

Although she claimed his pants were the last thing on her mind she figured that couldn't be the case.

"She's screwin' with him, I *hic* know it," she said.

She had to confront someone over this.

"Gotta talk to J-*hic*-Julia 'bout this," she told herself.

She had a little doubt she could find Julia especially in her drunken state.

All she could do was feel a sense of getting close to her sister. She needed to talk to someone who would listen. The only one she could think of was her sister.

She drunkenly stood up and searched for Julia. Eventually she did find her sister.

"J-*hic*-Julia, how YOU doin'?" she asked.

Julia heard what she said in her drunk stupor.

"You're drunk," she stated.

Maryanne tried telling her why she was drunk. But she passed out on her.

Julia could just smack her own face seeing her sister collapse.

" For crying out loud!"

She dragged Maryanne to her bed and started making fake coffee. Maryanne was still making hiccup sounds even though her eyes were shut. She tried not to make any noise, she knew all to well that she would have a hangover when she woke up.

Julia did what she thought was right and poured her a cup of coffee. Even though Maryanne's brain was woozy she should be able to grab the cup. Her eyes began to twitch, she was waking up.

" I'm in so much pain."

"It's called a 'hangover' sis," Julia said handing her the coffee, "it's what happens after you get drunk."

" We can't all be special and drink without getting drunk."

"I'm not sure anyone can drink without getting drunk," Julia stated.

Maryanne for the first time would disagree. Serena missed two people in this base. Ian and her xenomorph. So she went to look for Ian.

She hoped this wouldn't be a bother for him. She did not want to seem too clingy, but when she got to Ian he was trying to escape two clingy things. He was outside of Amy and Lucy's room breathing hard.

Serena was surprisingly okay with his tired breathing.

"You manage to get away?" She asked.

"It was a nightmare man," he said in an over-the-top sarcastic voice, "they were everywhere, but I escaped."

She could not help but laugh.

It sounded like he just went into a war with the xenomorph's but he was just cuddling with them. He began to laugh as well.

" Hi Serena."

"Hi Ian," she said, "how was your play-date?"

" Tiring. Their like little kids in there and I'm like a cookie to them."

That made Serena smile.

"Do you have any idea why Maryanne doesn't like me?" Serana asked.

Ian was caught off guard with that question. " Maybe she has a bad way of looking at you."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"She needs to know you as the kindhearted person I know you are," he stated.

Serena wondered. No part of her new how she could show that side of hers, but she was going to try.

" What are you going to do now Serena?"

"I'm going to visit Amy and Lucy," she said.

Ian stepped away from the door and Serena opened the door. She was grabbed almost instantly by Amy and cuddled. She felt a little cold now. Then she felt warm.

" Amy still likes you," said Ian.

"Why wouldn't she," she asked, "she's my... daughter." And then she remembered something, "James."

She heard a baby crying. She knew it had to be her baby James, so she rushed out and ran to her room, but she forgot to close the door behind her.

Amy and Lucy also heard the sound of a baby crying. They hid in a layer above the ceiling tiles and moved quietly yet swiftly towards the sound.

Ian and Serena opened the door to the baby's room without hearing a sound from the xenomorph's. They were shocked at what they saw.

The xenomorph's were introduced to a human so small and noisy. They cuddled it like parents would. The baby was sleeping, sucking its thumb. It looked so cute. Yet so frightening.

A big scary alien holding a baby. But it was adorable to watch. Ian almost said ' Aww', but he was too stunned.

" Serena, these xenomorph's are relentless."

She was quiet, "I'm sorry, what?"

" Relentless in doing anything they think of."

"Right," she said.

It did make a bit of sense.

" Whose being the parents here?" Ian asked.

"I don't know," she said, "I've never been in a situation where a pair of aliens cuddled my baby."

" I guess that makes us the parents then."

She blushed, "W-w-what?"

Ian just grinned widely.

"You should probably take him back before anyone else sees this," he said.

They were too late. They would soon see General Santiago who was behind them.

"The hell is going on?" He asked.

Ian could only think of punching the general to try stopping his discovery from being told.


	8. Chapter 8

**After so much time preparing for this chapter I'm finally glad to have the chance to post this one and I have Burke123 for that. Thank you for being patient you wonderful readers and I hope you can be patient for the next one.**

XXX

Ian couldn't punch General Santiago in the face because he wold probably get court marshaled.

" H-Hi General Santiago."

Santiago was speechless. Most of all he was angry.

"Sorry," Ian stated, "they are harmless and will go back to their room as soon as they are done with James."

The general wanted to go berserk in his yelling. Did Ian lose his mind?

"Look," Santiago pinched his s nose, "I can live look the other way on this just once, but I see them outside wherever you keep them, I will put them down."

" Understood sir." Ian said. Then Ian saluted the general.

He left, and Ian and Serena breathed a sigh of relief. Another person knew their secret. This was the scariest thing that could happen to them. They stayed in Serena's room for a few minutes and they left the same way they went in.

Before they left they double checked that no one else was walking by. When Amy and Lucy were safe in their rooms, Ian and Serena breathed a sigh of relief.

" We work too hard inside more then we work hard outside," said Ian.

"Who would have known being the mother of an alien would be so hard?" Serena asked. They both laughed.

" What worries me is General Santigo will send me on more missions after seeing that."

"I'm more worried that you might be arrested after that," Serena stated.

She was right to worry. Ian worried himself about being arrested. For some reason Ian started to laugh. He was in a lot of trouble, that was funny. But they had fun.

XXX

General Santiago was feeling a strange kind of feeling like he could have fun. Why was he feeling like this? He had grandchildren in his home before he left to fight xenomorph's. So seeing a baby with the xenomorphs was...intriguing. It was actually cuddled by them.

He was confused. He could see from their tones and body language they wouldn't hurt the newborn. Maybe these xenomorphs really were tame...or just smart enough to fool people.

He wanted to speak to Hal. He walked to where the android was stationed. He was looking at monitors. General Santiago wanted to be pleased.

"What have you been doing for the last few days?" He asked.

" I've been helping one marine mostly named Ian." said the android.

"How?" He asked.

"Since you are the general I can't lie to you. I've been helping him by protecting his xenomorph, and not just his, I've helped Serena with _her_ xenomorph," he stated.

General Santiago wasn't surprised by this. He was, however, surprised it took so long to figure it out. He would just have to move past it.

"What are they like," he asked "the xenomorphs I mean."

" Their more spoiled animals then fierce predators. They care for the protection of the chestbursters who should have died and those closest to them, they seem to not be connected to their alien queen also their true mother, and they seem to take a lot of work to take care of like babies."

"Babies," he repeated.

" They don't understand our language. Yet they can learn fast. At least as fast as knowing they can't do the same bad thing twice."

"Wow..." he was speechless.

The android must have significant data.

"Of course," Hal continued, "there have been problems."

" Like the killing of a man who went after his sister Julia?"

"He was not killed," Hal stated, "he was knocked unconscious."

The general cared nothing about either Ian's sister or the man who tried to rape her.

"Well if one of those things hurts another one of my marines," he threatened, "I will put them down."

The android was trying to stable them in those rooms.

"They have no reason to do so as long as they are not attacked," he said.

" That is also very risky."

"Agreed," Hal stated, "their continued elusiveness is what is keeping them alive."

XXX

It was absolutely their elusiveness, but he did not care. He was concerned about what they could do to his men. No man could go against a xenomorph without preparation. Not even him. Generals were just men no longer the same young men anymore. He was only human.

He felt sick of being here and he felt nausea when he opened the box to his favorite magazines. They were just magazines for cooking but the box he carries them in smells so disgusting. Before he was a soldier, he loved to cook. He also had a collection of trading card game and old video game guides but he left those back home, completely forgetting about them.

Memories always found a way to get back to him. What he gave to everyone else was just his whole appearance. He did not want to appear soft.

" What I need is more preparations."

He looked for the nearest kitchen. He found the one with the chefs known for their soy meatballs. No one was there, so no one would see him cook. He was a closet chef. He lived by a philosophy cooking was a good thing. Cooking is where your always cooking for everyone and not just cooking because someone wants you to.

He started with something simple: spaghetti. Sphagetti was a food to filling for its own good. Eating just one bowl could make a person's stomach feel like it was a good source of carbohydrates. The question was should it have red sauce or meatballs? He decided on both.

It was prepared now it had to be tasted. He tasted it himself.

"Yes. It tastes more like shrimp then it does actual spaghetti," he stated, "but good nonetheless."

The general nodded before taking a second bite. Just then Decaf walked in. The general knew he wouldn't walk in on his dinner unless it had to do with something important.

"What is it?" General Santiago asked.

" I think I found something strange and interesting."

"What is it?!" He asked.

"We found a spiky xenomorph dead outside our door," Decaf stated.

The general had to see it with his own eyes to believe it. They moved swiftly to get to the entrance. The general couldn't believe the spiked xenomorph he heard about. He had never see one before.

The xenomorph was dripping blood from its jaw making the ground disappear below it.

"We found it early this morning," he said.

" Who here killed this thing?" asked the general.

"We don't know," Decaf stated, "but all of its leg bones are broken and the exoskeleton at the front of the creature was crushed."

" No way a marine could crush a xenomorph."

"That's what I thought too," Decaf stated.

Decaf didn't want any manor woman to see this. Xenomorph's killed their families. They would try to leave to fight back seeing one dead.

" We don't get to see spiked xenomorph's a lot. Screw it, let's study it," said General Santiago.

"Yes sir," he said.

General Santiago now considered the xenomorph an object. At least his dead one.

Ian and Decaf walked down the hall together.

"A spiky xenomorph?" Ian asked.

" I wouldn't believe they were real if I didn't see them with my own eyes myself," Decaf said.

"I need to see this," he said.

Decaf stared when Ian sprinted through the hall.

"There he goes," Decaf stated as he sprinted after him.

It would be so much easier to let him go if he wasn't seeking Ian's sisters attention. Ian stopped next to a glass window looking into the autopsy room. Hal, Julia, and several other humans and androids performing the autopsy.

Ian was standing around doing nothing for a short moment.

"What the hell is that thing?" Ian asked quietly.

It's skin was squishy unlike a xenomorph's skin but it wasn't a human looking being.

"My best guess," Decaf put a hand on Ian's shoulder, "it's a mutant."

" Do you think it's the air or a bite that mutated this xenomorph?" Ian asked.

" That's a question for the autopsy to answer."

They left.

Decaf tried remembering how Julia looked inside that room. He could barely pick her out because everyone was wearing white. He could wait until they finished the autopsy to find out who's her. The autopsy would take a few hours, so he decided to sleep. He leaned against the wall and hoped Julia would notice him laying there.

She did.

" Decaf? Can you stand on your feet and look me in the eyes when I'm talking to you?"

He stirred. He opened his eyes and saw Julia staring at him.

He didn't say any words although he really wanted to until he was upright on his feet giving her the respect she deserved because she was a hard worker and the person Decaf couldn't take his eyes off of.

"H-h-hi," he stammered.

" Yes, hello to you too Decaf. I couldn't help but notice when you were in my room you brought my brother Ian along."

"He was curious to see the mutant," he said.

Julia could understand why Decaf let her brother in. They were the best of friends. Both strong and yet both just looking for something soft. She enjoyed watching them interact. Ian needed a friend that wasn't something they were in a war to exterminate. Ian needed a human friend.

" As long as your safe in your lab you'll be okay." Decaf said.


	9. Chapter 9

**This isn't the chapter where the marines have their battle against the xenomorph's but I promise there will be shooting scenes in the chapter after this one. Thank you co-author Burke123.**

XXX

"Agreed," Julia stated. "How is my big brother doing?"

" He's doing everything he can to get on the generals good side."

"He needs it," she said, "Serena told me that General Santiago caught them with their xenomorphs."

" He didn't look very angry about a dangerous lifeform being in his room. Maybe he's biding his time to have a real conversation with Ian about it."

"I'm sure it will be fine," he said.

" Thanks for that Decaf. Have a nice day."

"Okay, bye," he said before walking off.

Julia's goal now was to look for her sister. Maryanne was in her room sleeping. She was simply too tired to do anything else today. Julia did not want to disturb her, so she waited. After waiting for a few minutes she started to wonder if Maryanne was going to sleep all night. Julia started to doze off too.

She tried to stay away only to fall asleep more. She dreamed of having tea with the xenomorph's, who had British accents. Visually the tea looked hot and tasty. It was humorous to say the least. She even chuckled a little which Maryanne heard. That small sound was what awoke Maryanne.

She enjoyed watching her little sister sleep. She wondered if her little sister had to do the same thing for her.

XXX

Ian did not want to strain himself too hard, the wound in his chest hurt when his heart beated too hard. He would do this exercise's twenty times each time. He did not want to strain his heart, but he wanted to strain his body. First he did an exercise with a machine putting his hands between two small sections as he raised his legs up and down twenty times. And then he did twenty pull-ups.

It was exhausting. Every five times he did it sweat glands filled up in his lungs making it harder to breath. He had to rest. His next exercise would be using a bench to pull up and down a dumbbell that weighed a lot of pounds and then use the machine to sanitize the bench when he was done.

Before he could, he was visited by Decaf.

" About time I find you lifting weights again." Said Decaf. "How's it going?"

"Not too well," he said, "if I do it for to long my chest starts hurting."

Decaf pointed Ian to the fountain because he knew the people who owned this gym didn't want people trying to exercise to rely on their own water.

"You need to drink some water man," he stated.

Ian made his way to the water fountain.

"How is your wound doing?" Decaf asked.

"Fine," Ian stated, "how's yours?"

Decaf showed him where the xenomorph's blood burned him.

"You tell me," he said.

Ian didn't really think it looked that bad-could be worse what happened to Decaf-he did find it slightly disgusting to look at.

"It's... healed," Ian could not think of anything else to say.

Decaf was happy it was before he talked to Julia later.

"Yeah," he said rolling his sleeves down.

" You have nothing to be ashamed of. Your alive," Ian said.

Decaf smiled, "Another dip in the fire, right?"

Ian smiled at the thought of that. Marines are told that before a sword is ready, it had to be dipped in fire and beaten. A myth maybe but a good inspiring myth. It inspired all marines. Ian thought about going for a shower but he felt Decaf had more to talk about.

"Is there something on your mind?" Ian asked.

Decaf blinked for a moment of hesitation before answering " No Ian."

"Decaf you've never won a game of poker in your life," Ian stated, "there's no use lying."

Decaf sighed. " I need money from you."

He was silent, "Can I ask why?"

" I got a call from someone outside this building, he's living where the xenomorph's make their hive. I need a team to try to save him."

"And you need the money to pay the soldiers off?" Ian asked.

Decaf nodded in response to his friend Ian's question.

"How much?" Ian asked.

" Two thousand."

"Two tha..." he had no clue, "I have twenty dollars and a bottlecap."

" Wow. I had no idea you were so poor. Your sisters have the most important jobs around here."

"I didn't expect to be in a situation when I needed two thousand dollars," Ian stated.

" I'm sorry to put you in this situation. You know what, maybe I don't need to hire a crew. I just need your help and a friend of yours. Someone persistent in killing some xeno's."

Ian didn't completely lose his touch of killing xenomorph's.

"I could go," he said.

" Good. Suit up and let's take a walk outside."

Ian did not want to kill xenomorphs, but he wanted to protect Decaf. It was after Ian suit up and explained to his sisters, friend Serena, and two xenomorph's that are docile to him and his family that he left the base.

It was quiet. That was both Decaf and Ian thinking for as long as they could.

"Where to Decaf?" Ian asked.

"Well," he pulled out a crude paper map of Genesis Ascending marked with pen, "we're here just outside base. Since you've been on leave the Marines have covered the area's here, here, and here. We tried to go to this area but it was blocked off by debris. What I would like to do is see if we can find an alternate rout to that area."

Ian could find a good way to get around all this debris.

"Is there some sort of tunnel system that could lead us there?" He asked.

"There are," Decaf stated, "but they are also blocked off."

"Can we go over?" Ian asked.

"Too steep," Decaf stated.

Ian felt his brain swirling around trying to think of a new plan for him and Decaf to get through.

"What if we go into this building here," Ian said pointing at the map, "we go up, and repel down on the other side of the blockage."

Decaf agreed that might be a good idea for their journey.

Ian had his motion detector attached to his pack, but this time he had a pulse rifle, and so did Decaf. They moved from cover to cover, not staying in the light for several seconds. So far the motion detector wasn't lighting up, but that was open to change.

Ian hoped he only had to kill the spiked xenomorph's.

XXX

Sometimes it felt like a geyser of lava would explode out of the ground. It looked like a bottomless pit. The only thought other people would have for people trying to cross this pit was they are insane. Decaf and Ian were going inside the pit.

" I feel like this pit is really helping us," said Ian.

Decaf paused, "Are you being sarcastic?"

" We are still live aren't we? A technicality is it reeks in here."

It was a sewer tunnel that caved in on itself. Ian and Decaf both wanted to be the first ones out and incidentally bumped into each other trying to reach the end. When they reached where they needed to go, they fell silent. It was a Spiky nest.

Ian and Decaf didn't have the right pheromone's for this nest. Needles to say, they were terrified. The only thing worse then being terrified was being dead. So they retreated back into the tunnel. Ian pulled out his motion tracker.

Something strange showed up on the motion tracker. Nothing. This was a nest and there was no movement at all.

" Who leaves a nest unguarded?" Ian asked Decaf wondering if he had an answer.

"They're either here and not moving, or they're gone," he said.

Ian made sure to point his gun in as many directions because xenomorph's could attack him at any direction.

"I suggest a strategic retreat back to the fort," Ian whispered.

Decaf was just happy no one knew their plan so it didn't hurt to go back to the base.

"We do need to tell people what we found," Ian stated.

" Let's start with the people we know. If they won't believe us who will," Decaf said.

"General Santiago should be the first to know," Ian stated.

Luckily for the two marine's it was that time of day General Santiago was in the kitchen cooking for a few of his men. He didn't exclude men from his cooking just couldn't cook for everyone in one day.

But first they had to get out of the pit. They almost held hands to get out but managed to get out without doing that. They went straight for General Santiago. They finally got to him and looked him straight in his eyes.

"We found a nest," Ian stated.

General Santiago really wanted to believe what this xeno harboring marine was saying was the absolute truth. Decaf vouched for him.

" We were both at the nest. Strangely there weren't any xenomorph's there."

"It was a Spiky Xenomorph nest," Decaf stated.

"How do you know?" Santiago asked.

"The entire nest looked like a bramble bush," Ian stated.

" That does seem like a spiky xenomorph nest. It would be wise to stay away from that nest in the future without ten men to help you."

"Agreed," Ian stated.

" Glad you think so. Except before the end of this day I need you two to join me and my men on a mission to the nest. I am a General who is there for his men when they need help and a new nest is a place all men need help to seize."

XXX

On his way out Ian took a different exit. Serena knew all about this exit. It was a shortcut to the hall were Lucy and Amy. They could smell something from the marines: Fear. They were heading somewhere that no man should or wants to go to. Straight into the pits of Hell.

Lucy and Amy could smell Ian among those marines. They didn't want him to go into that dangerous territory.


	10. Chapter 10

**This is the chapter where we added something in Maryanne's life other than learning about her brothers affairs. I thank Burke123 for this chapter and will be able to write another one...meh, one month from now.**

XXX

Ian felt things were working perfectly.

He had a bigger gun, which was a start. He could spray lots of blood out of the spiked xenomorph's with its power. He still had his motion tracker though. Weapons were the tools to ending a xenomorph's life but motion tracker's saved them from surprise attacks. So many marines were saved by these things.

Eventually, the ten men, including Ian, Decaf, and General Santiago himself, were ready to go.

" Those bug crawlers are as good as dead. Remember that men if we so encounter them." the general said.

"Sir, yes sir!" they shouted.

The general made sure he was the first one to leave and be the leader of the marines. He was the one who lead them outside. Some of the marines were not used to the feeling of being outside, but Decaf was a veteran, he had the scars to prove it. His worries were more on Ian.

Ian was a natural pacifist and did not like killing things. He couldn't be squeamish in a open battleground like this. He had to be strong. The time came they spotted a xenomorph. The good news was they weren't spotted by him.

He heard the unique sound that a pulse rifle makes, and then he heard the xenonorph shriek. It was a spiked xenomorph they shot.

They kept moving.

A little bit of adrenaline in their bodies after an aliens death. Things were quiet until they reached the sewer tunnel. A bit of that unquietness came from marines complaining. It WAS a sewer after all. That was what they were walking in and it was filthy. Needless to say they were happier once they got into the hive.

Well happier was an exaggerated word. In the hive could kill them but at least it was more slimy than smelly. Ian got his tracker. So far it went along steadily.

It was deadly quiet.

Marines were clicking their guns trying to keep their safety's off. They were ready.

" I'm getting a reading," a marine said.

"So am I," Ian stated.

The marines waited for a sign that a xenomorph really was going in their direction.

Ian spotted two pureblooded xenomorphs, thankfully they were Lucy and Amy. They stopped moving and disappeared from the motion trackers. A question that made Ian sweat was why were those two in these sewers and how they got out.

" Enemies ahead, open fire!"

The shooting began with a spiked xenomorph standing right before the front marine's eyes being shot through the elbow and its head. The spiky xenomorphs emerged from everywhere. A scream was heard out of the dying first victim marine. They fell back to the tunnel. One marine shot so fast three xenomorph's fell down together.

They ran through the tunnel. Little did they know that Lucy and Amy were covering their escape.

Xenomorph's would be hard to escape from even if they made it out of the tunnel. Thankfully, most of them did. Ian and Decaf were covered in sweat from the shock of seeing so many xenomorph's in a once deserted place.

When they got back to the base they talked to the General about what happened.

"And how many did we lose?" General Santiago asked.

" Four men General Santiago," Decaf said.

"Four," he repeated.

Ian and Decaf were silent at how gruesome four good people's death was. Lucy and Amy were still outside the compound surrounded by xenomorph's that were nothing but bad. They went underground while the auto turrets finished off the spiky xemomorphs.

Ian hoped none of the xenomorph's finished off were Lucy or Amy, or were hit by the turrets. He felt no warm feelings in any part of his body. He needed to find his family. His family of three when he brought Serena into it. Even though the were not married, Ian considered Serena to be a part of the family.

The problem was he was away from his family and scared of the snarling acid bodied aliens outside. He needed them. Something was going to happen and he would need their help. They were in the cafeteria. He approached them with Decaf behind him.

"Hey," he said weakly, he was exhausted from running.

" Hi." She said to her brother. " Is something wrong?"

"Lucy and Amy escaped," he stated.

That news gave her something to worry about. It was more concern than fear, but she did not like it.

" I know this is a bad time to ask but how is James Edward Morrison Jr. doing?"

"He's fine," she stated, "how are you?"

" Not good." He said in a way that was unintentionally said tersely.

" Well we should just be lucky we are all safe," said Maryanne.

"Agreed," Decaf stated.

He also was glad he could have a reason to spend time with Julia. It also gave Ian time with Serena, but it left Maryanne with no one.

She had eyes and could see that. Maybe she would hook up with an engineer. There was an engineer that she liked.

He did the military a great survive and was good at remembering books. He was also very adorable in her eyes, but she did not know his name. No one here could tell her what his name was so she had to look for him herself. She found him welding mini guns to a power loader.

She had to be careful when a man was wielding those. She knew from experience that welding sparks burn. By being careful she managed to ask him if he would talk to her. He yelled at her though over how she was too careless.

So she waited.

Finally, he met up with her at the spot she asked him to meet her in dressed in cleaner clothes. She tried unsuccessfully to hide her blush. He didn't care about her blushing just what went through her mind when she asked him to meet with her.

"Would you like to eat together sometime?" She blurted out.

" Sure. I usually eat fake stake so a nice meal with someone is better."

"Alright!" She shouted.

She finally had someone to spend time with other than her brother. She was so relieved.

While Maryanne was getting to know that person the rest of the group were trying to take care of problems involving Lucy and Amy. They had escaped and no one had seen them since.

They couldn't fight any kinds of spiked xenomorph's at least by themselves. Who was going to keep them safe? They were not weak by any means, but they were outnumbered. They were also foreign to spiked Xenomorph's homes.

They were in danger. But he could not do anything about it. What would he say? 'Excuse me General Santiago, but I need to go to the place where we just lost three marines to rescue two xenomorphs, one of which is my daughter'? No.

General Santiago was not just going to give him permission for that willy nilly. He had to be clever, and he also needed Serena. He would need to lay down what came to his mind, every bit of it to her.

He needed sleep first.

XXX

That was a very pleasant sleep for him.

He needed to find Serena.

If she was a heavier sleeper than him she would be in her room. She snored loudly. Ian was reminded of his mother hearing her. It made Ian smile. He knocked on her door to wake her up.

She twitched.

She knew it was Ian but that knocking sound surprised her.

She did not want to wake up, but his constant knocking got to her.

She blinked her eyes excessively because a part of her wanted to do nothing while the other wanted to get up. Eventually she stood up.

She opened the door like Ian wanted her to.

"Lucy and Amy are loose," he said.

That was horrible news she wished happened less often.

"We're going out there," he said, "tonight."

Serena felt surprisingly eager to go back outside to that wasteland.

"I'll go if I have a rifle to protect myself," she said.

Ian wouldn't just give her a weapon since she was a civilian not a Marine. She needed some actually training with a weapon. He took her to the firing range. He set her up easy with a close target.

"Do you know the essentials of firing a gun?" Ian asked.

" Ignore the thought in your head that makes you shoot the wrong people?" She asked.

"Well there's that," Ian said, "and you need to know the basics of firing a pulse rifle."

Serena truly had no idea how to fire a pulse cannon. She had to be taught. Ian walked her through which buttons to press and how to aim along with several tips and tricks. By the time he finished explaining she was shooting the bulls-eye on the target.

She was a natural, but practice and in the field were two different things. For one xenomorph's were more terrifying than a shooting poster. In addition to that they move very fast. It's bad the way they move.

She needed more training. Xenomorph's are afraid of fire so he taught her how to use the flamethrower. He kept away from her so she wouldn't accidentally burn him.

Several hours after she started training, she was ready for the field. She was sweaty and her fingers were shaking before Ian helped calm her down.

"With any luck, Lucy and Amy will find us," Ian said. She felt so relieved to hear that. "But if they can find us, surely the others could too, and there's no way to tell them apart."

At least she knew spiked xenomorph's weren't them.

"Let's go," he said.

XXX

Ian needed help from more than just Serena. But they were only searching the boarder, he felt that they would be fine on their own.

He led on while Serena followed him holding his hand. According to Ian these next place could smell so he told her to be ready.

It was not the sewer tunnel... it was a rotting greenhouse. How could he be so blind and not see it as a greenhouse. None of the trees were standing. He had to actually look closer at it.

Something moved under a pile of rotten wood, a pure xenomorph stood, raining chips of wood as it did. Ian took out his gun to try shooting it in the head. But he felt something in his chest, something familiar.

"Lucy?" He asked.

The xenomorph turned to him and just watched him. It did not attack, that was a good sign. It must be Lucy otherwise they would be in a bloodbath. The xenomorph approached.

If it was Lucy Ian had to show her he wouldn't use his weapons on her, but he kept his pistol drawn, just in case.

" Hey Lucy. We are out here because we were worried about you."

She bumped her dome into his head, no doubt it was Lucy.

What proceeded from there was snuggling from the xenomorph who managed to get both her arms around him; before that he lowered his gun. No need to scare Lucy with marine weapons.

"Where is Amy?" Ian asked Lucy. At this point he knew for a fact that she could understand him, even though he could not understand her.


	11. Chapter 11

**This chapter is leading up to war because it is a fandom of a series that made its money showing you places people were on the run in to survive attacks from tall acid bleeding monsters. I'm glad Burke123 and I could write this chapter.**

XXX

They followed her to her location. To their surprise they found her with a human. The man was bleeding from his chest, his would was covered by a shirt. It looked like Amy was trying her best to keep this man alive.

Serena clutched the center of her chest, where her scar was. It seemed that seeing a man who was put in the same position she was made her body hurt.

Ian felt the same way.

Xenomorph's, a few days ago Ian would put a bullet through the dome of every single one of them. A new light was shining on both the xenomorph's and him and it was saying he wasn't going to shot any of them...but not shooting any of them would be wrong.

It was a conflict for another day, right now he needed to help the bleeding man.

" Don't worry, we marines help our injured people if there's a chance they can live."

He could not speak, or maybe he did not want to. He was just lucky they showed up when they did. However, he was terrified of the two xenomorphs right next to him. Xenomorph's would kill him without a second thought. But it helped him.

It actually helped him and he was deep down glad it did. However, he was bleeding out fast. Serena was scared thinking this meant he would die fast or worse, die slowly and painfully. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a creature.

It was trying to hide but didn't do a good job.

It was a xenomorph larva.

It was able to see people based on their breath.

It was shocking, although harmless. Xenomorph's grew though to savage beasts. The tiny creature though could not hurt a fly, except for the man he came out of.

Ian and Serena weren't going to let it hurt anyone. They had to save the man. He was carried by Ian since he didn't have the strength to stand. Lucy, Amy, and Serena followed them. They heard a few disgruntled noises. It was coming from the entranceway. They couldn't leave if there were any xenomorph's there.

Ian did not hesitate to pull out his pistol. The creature emerged, it was a cat. Ian couldn't believe this little feline went in here. Curiosity most likely. Whatever the case someone had to grab it before it got itself eaten, so Serena took it. The cat made a meow showing its mouth to Serena but that was more a "thank you" than a hiss.

"You're welcome," Serena said.

She really liked this cat but knew she probably couldn't keep it, but she would take it to the base regardless.

They managed to leave the hive without being attacked by a xenomorph. They made it to the base without the sentry turrets killing Lucy and Amy. It was up to Ian's medical sister to help this wounded soldier.

He and Serena took him straight to Julia. She was free right now because no one else had gotten injured. Ian and Serena left her alone.

They were thinking of naming the cat based on knight names unless they found its owner. They agreed Arthur wasn't a good name for him though.

" How about we call him Lance, short for Lancelot," Serena suggested.

"I like it," Ian said, "but I'm not sure that we can keep it."

Serena stroked the ridge of the cats back. She was trying to think of a way she could keep Lance. She left to contemplate her decision while Ian stayed behind.

She had the cat and he had nothing to do or think about aside from her baby. It wasn't his baby but he could settle for being its guardian.

She went straight for her baby, who she left with Jamie. By the time she got to it Jamie had found a way to help the baby sleep. He was adorable. He scrunched his eyes a little when he rested just like his father.

He was dead and she missed him, but Junior was a light of joy in this world of monsters.

Serena was happy.

XXX

Meanwhile, Decaf was in the shooting range.

He was wondering how long they would have to stay there with two separate species of xenomorph tearing apart the planet. He's been thinking about it before and somehow the thought always got away.

"Ian," Decaf walked in, "we've got new orders. 'Capture one of the subspecies xenomorph and nuke the planet.'"

He was just having trouble going after xenomorph's 'less they were going to kill him. Killing one was hard enough, but he had to capture a spiky xenomorph? Absolutist insane. If Lucy wanted to kill him she would have done it already and she was an ordinary xenomorph. But she came from him, they had a physical connection.

Everyone he knew was busy except maybe Maryanne. And with Maryanne's custom power loader, it would be easier.

He found her rubbing Windex on disks the marines like to listen but mostly herself.

Not her natural environment.

She knew Ian was behind her and she knew his orders. With a heavy sign she stopped what she was doing and looked at Ian.

"I suppose this means you're ready?" She asked.

" Oh you can read me like a book sis." Ian said with a wink.

"You'll need Bessie," she said.

"Bessie?" Ian asked.

"My power loader," she explained, "I have a net launcher wired and welded to the right arm."

" You spend too much time doing engineering jobs." Ian said.

"Would you rather I have no net launcher at all?" she asked.

" No, keep the net launcher because it's the best weapon you can bring."

"Nice," she stated giving him a thumbs up.

And thus they went on Ian's mission for a xenomorph.

XXX

Maryanne stomped about in her walker as Ian gave her directions from the passenger seat, also a custom addition to the power loader. Ian liked the way the power loader moved. It felt like riding a carousal in a straight line.

It was hard to say if it was a carousel because carousel's were from Earth, but the feeling was similar.

So far the machine was unscathed from any xenomorph attacks as no xenomorph's were around.

Ian thought finding a xenomorph would be easy...but they were gone without a trace.

Only a nuke could destroy all the xenomorph's.

Capturing one alive would not be easy, especially if it was spiky.

Finally it looked like they were getting close to one. The path they took seemed to be an alternate route to the spiky hive. They were both very cautious about where they were. Enemy territory. Scattering around were heavy xenomorph's afraid of their giant machine.

They had no idea how they were going to catch one of them with only one net launcher. Ian could shot it better than Maryanne so he had to find a way. It was a relatively small net, so he couldn't capture a queen if he wanted to. Ian couldn't think his luck could turn so bad, but he expected the worse. He was after all harbouring xenomorph's of his own will.

The power loader stood still. There was a reason why it was doing that. The entrance to the nest was too small. They either had to lure the xenomorphs out, or they had to go in. The reason to bring a power loader was to stand a chance against xenomorph's but if all of them came out he would be dead.

They had to wait.

Maryanne and Ian couldn't eat or drink while waiting. Nervous stomach.

" So have you and Serena finally..."

"You can not be doing this right now," Ian stated.

" Try to remember the little boy who once had an unrequited crush on a girl two years older than him."

"That was years ago," Ian almost yelled, "we need to be quiet if we don't want to die!"

Maryanne almost said he was the one shouting but it was both redundant and she couldn't make too much noise.

They both were still. This was something they've never done in their life, but it was something they were ordered to do. Ian tapped his fingers against a part of the power loader. He checked his motion tracker, nothing. He didn't want to sugarcoat he was on a mission so this was natural waiting but boy was it boring.

"I'm thinking of an animal," Maryanne said.

" Is it a deer?" Ian asked.

"Not even close," she said.

Ian snapped his fingers. " Darn."

As soon as he snapped, his motion tracker began to beep. He could finally proceed with the next stage of this mission. But the bad news was that he was surrounded, and he only had one net.

" I think it's time you kill all these monsters with your power loader," Ian whispered to Maryanne.

"It only has the net launcher and extra reinforcements," Maryanne stated.

Ian bit his lip. He wanted to swear loudly, but the impending doom told him not to.

He had to think fast or he was dead.

"Stay as still as possible and wait for the right moment," Ian said.

Maryanne wasn't sure that would work but she listened to her brother.

The xenomorph's were dripping disgusting grey saliva flooding the bottom of their mouths. Something was strange about them, the ones approaching the spiky nest were purebloods. This could be fascinating if it wasn't also terrifying.

They got closer and closer to them, and then they moved past them. Confusion set in, and then the screaming began; the screaming of a xenomorph civil war. The screams of attack, and the shrieks of death, it was like the singing of banshees.

Ian didn't like the sounds of these xenomorph's or that they were going to move rampantly. They had to think fast while the to species were fighting. Ian really wished his friends and sister were here, but a part of him wished they were now.

Suddenly, a shot went off that killed a xenomorph.

There were no guns on the modified power loader, the shot came from a marine. To be more exact it came from Decaf which Ian found out when he spotted him.

' _What is he doing here_?' Ian wondered.

"You think I'd let you have all of the fun?" Decaf asked, "Besides that, A new order came in when you left, now they want a dead specimen as well as a living one."

Decaf killed a xenomorph so the living specimen was his responsibility to capture.

"How much power of a in the arms of this thing?" Ian asked Maryanne.

" Your basic head crushers so a lot."

"You think we can crush the entrance to get a better shot?" Ian asked.

Maryanne nodded her head. " It's a possibility."

"Do it if you can," he stated.

She could and doing it was what she would accomplish. She pulled the levers that raised the arms of her power loader and brought them down, it only cracked the structure.

" We can do it. We just have to try again."

"Right," she replied.

He did what Ian wanted her to do. This time, the structure broke in half. Ian felt like doing a little cheer if not for the herds of xenomorphs.

"Let's go," he said.

He and Maryanne moved together through the broken structure. They saw the chaos in front of them. The purebloods and the spiky xenomorphs were too busy fighting amongst themselves to notice Ian, Maryanne, and Decaf.


	12. Chapter 12

**This is the last chapter. There won't be a sequel story because Burke123 and I were only working on one Alien story but I just want to say it was fun writing and editing the chapters of this story and more I'm happy with how it feels everyone who read this story followed it. Maybe one day I'll get the right thing I did with this story on other stories.**

XXX

Ian finally had a chance to finish his mission. But actually finishing it was going to be a challenge. Ian didn't know what was in that structure. Maryanne did not want to waste her one shot with the net launcher by firing randomly. She had to be patient for the closest attack that would come.

Two xenomorphs were fighting each other in the structure. Decaf sniped the spiky one and the pureblood ran off to join another fight. Decaf was happy to see the pureblood xenomorph run off. He had a job to do. He saw one spiked xenomorph so he shot at its chest region.

It exploded.

Acid blood came out and ate through the soil. He moved onto the next target. This target was just standing still like it knew it was going to be shot so there was no point in fighting back. Decaf fired, and the xenomorph dodged.

His next shoots needed to count or they would all be dead. He acted fast and fired again. This time, the bullet found it's mark. The xenomorph shrieked in pain before the wound killed it. Hopefully there would be bodies to bring back, the biggest challenge was collecting the live specimen.

Next person to fire at them had to be Maryanne with her net gun.

A spiky xenomorph stood alone on top of a rock, she fired her net launcher and trapped the creature. However, the creature struggled. Ian hoped to capture it before it struggled out. Thankfully the net was made out of cables and not rope, otherwise it would have broken out immediately.

Ian was sure he was being too overconfident but it looks like they captured a xenomorph. But they still had to get it back to the base, and they were in the middle of a warzone. Of all the stupid things to happen why this and why now?

A guttural roar filled the air.

Ian and Maryanne didn't need to guess to know what that was.

It was the Matriarch of the spiky xenomorph hive. Ian found meeting it beautiful but also terrifying. It began attacking the purebloods.

Ian was suppose to be fighting xenomorphs not them destroying each other. Although, it was better than all of them killing him, his sister, and Decaf. Ian could actually smile about this, but then he remembered where he was. In hell. Hell was nothing to smile about. They had to leave.

" Maryanne, you know what we have to do," Ian said.

"Turbo?" She asked.

"No," Ian said, "we need to move slowly so that we don't disturb any of the warring xenomorph a. It's going to be difficult with the spiky xenomorph on the end of the line, and the spiky queen turning purebloods into shish kabobs."

Maryanne moved just one finger on the controls to make it move as slow as possible. It crawled forward on tank treads on the feet instead of using the actual legs. It was like a man crawling to get away from danger if that man had motorized roller-skates.

They made it out of the Matriach's nest with their live spiky xenomorph and many dead ones that were retrieved hours later. The General would be pleased with their catch.

Ian made it through the anarchy of xenomorph's killing themselves and got to the base. The spiky xenomorph was put to sleep and placed in a Imatanium 'casket' for transport.

The General was pleased with his decision. Because of his graciousness he wanted to offer Ian some words of advice. His words were suggestions for him harboring xenomorphs.

"Maybe we have some live pureblood specimens along for the ride," he said implying that they were taking Lucy and Amy, "I don't condone keeping the purebloods, but I will condone keeping some 'pets' that you found."

Ian felt disgust in what the General was saying to him.

"That's what I have to report, you understand that right?" He asked.

Ian thought about the reasons why it didn't make sense but fulfilled the joy the general wanted by nodding.

"We can't let it be revealed about you and Serena's... relations with the two purebloods," he stated, "it would look bad on the reports."

Ian knew he could say that again.

They were rushed to get off of the planet, they had twenty-four hours to leave before the colony was carpet-bombed by nuclear warheads.

The first thing Ian wanted to do was make sure Serena was safe before he got on the escape vehicle. He had to find her first. He searched the room they were keeping her son. He found Jamie, and she was holding the baby.

Ian approached Jaime slowly.

"How is he?" He asked.

" He's fine. It took a lot of work but he's finally asleep."

"Good," Ian stated, "I wonder how he'll handle cryosleep."

Jaime believed the baby could sleep in cyrosleep.

"Pretty well, I guess," she said.

The baby made a sound so Jaime wiggled a finger to give the baby stimulus.

"Do you have any idea where Serena is?" Ian asked.

" Yes. She went to get some ingredients for her baby because it was hungry."

"Thanks," he said.

Ian waved goodbye to Jaime before heading to the direction Serena could be in. He was wondering on his way there what he could say to her.

A lot had happened since they first met. They met more people they helped save from the chestbursters. They had all gone to the Spectrum. They saw an alien Matriach. They would never be the same.

Ian knew it wasn't time to get into his hypersleep chamber. He needed to find Serena. He jogged before running as fast as he could through the compound.

It was empty, most of the marines, scientists, and androids had already left the planet. This reminded him of a science fiction novel. A classic one. That novel was I Am Legend. The difference was people were his friends and they would never leave him.

They were just somewhere else.

Finally he got to the room Serena was in. She was crying. Ian didn't want her to cry. He touched her shoulder.

"My husband is dead," she said, "and we're leaving him behind."

Ian could feel the anguish she was feeling and knew this place was cruel to people trying to find time to grieve.

"What can I do to make you feel better?" Ian asked.

Serena had to first take care of her sniffles.

"Kleenex," she stated.

Ian immediately handed her a Kleenex to blow her nose.

" I know this is a bad time to bring this up but we have to go."

Serena clutched the baby formula in her arms and followed Ian. He led her to Jamie, who was holding her baby.

" Can I take my baby back?" Serena asked Jamie.

"Sure," she said.

Jamie passed the baby from her nurturing arms to Serena.

"He looks so much like his father," she said.

Ian didn't know his father very well but he would agree with what Serena said.

"Gotta love kids," Ian stated.

She found that statement to be weird and kinda silly.

"You make me laugh," she said with a smile.

Ian's cheeks turned scarlet at the sound of her compliment. Jamie chuckled at his reaction. Ian didn't much care for the sound of Jamie's voice.

"Thanks," he said sarcastically.

" You have your baby now Serena so we should go now to the cyrosleep chamber."

"Will cryosleep be safe for him?" She asked.

Ian knew it was safe for children but he wasn't sure about babies.

"I might be able to help," General Santiago entered the room again. Ian saluted the General because he wanted to hear what he had to say. " I can fit your baby in a baby size expensive cyrochamber. It is also in the same room as you'll be, Serena."

"How safe is it?" She asked.

"Safe enough to hyperfreeze fertile chicken eggs and unfreeze them and and then have them hatched," he stated.

" Except we are talking about a little baby here." Ian said.

Serena spoke up, "if it can do that with eggs I think a baby would be comfortable."

She looked at her baby to see if there was any excitement on its face. He was fast asleep. General Santiago was happy to see the sleepy baby.

"I am one hundred percent sure that he will be safe," he said.

" Thank you General. I will follow you off this planet." Serena said.

She smiled. Now she was in the same room as the cyrosleep chamber.

An hour later, everyone was on the USCSS Spectrum.

They were happy to be gone from the xenomorph infested planet. They ascended, leaving the atmosphere and preparing the warhead. Ian and Serena were looking out the window together.

The nuke looked like a silver dot to them, it got smaller and smaller until they could not see it anymore... and then it went off. the mushroom cloud was visible from space. everything within one thousand miles of the drop-site was dust.

Serena couldn't be happy that wretched place was blown to smithereens.

"It's gone," she said two words that said it all.

" I'm going to miss it." Ian said. " If it wasn't for the planet we wouldn't know xenomorph's can be good too."

"And I would not have met you," he added.

Serena held Ian's hand moving her fingers between his. Soon they were holding each other's hands.

"To all crew aboard this vessel," a robotic voice sounded, "make your way to the cryosleep chambers. The ship leaves in t-minus thirty minutes."

That had to be Hal talking on the intercom. Ian just wanted a few more seconds with Serena. He felt for her, and now he knew that she felt for him.

They just let themselves kiss each other hands off and in synchronization. No one else in the room expected it. They were both thinking about dinner when they got out of the cyrosleep and eating it together. Nothing like fake food after a long sleep.

The cryosleep room was different from when they left. It had more cryosleep chambers, and one small one. The small one was for Junior to sleep through the whole thing.

She placed him gently in the pod, kissed him, and closed the pod.

It was Ian's turn to help her into cyrosleep. He kissed her on the forehead and then the cryochamber closed. Ian walked into the cyrochamber. He noticed on the ceiling the sleek black skin of Lucy overhead.

"I'll see you when I get out," he said to her.

"You really shouldn't talk to yourself like that," Maryanne said from behind him, "it makes you look crazy."

Maryanne was just joking with him. She knew Lucy was on the ceiling.

"I'm not looking forward to the cryo-hangover when we wake up," Julia said behind her, "but it'll be worth it when we get to the military base in Earth's orbit."

Ian liked the way she thought. He also was looking forward to when they arrive there. Decaf punched him in the arm. Ian was amazed to see Decaf looked handsome with an acid scar on his face. It did not deform him in the slightest.

" What are you doing over here, Decaf?" Maryanne asked.

"I sleep here," he said.

" I know that. I mean why are you here where I'm standing talking to me."

"I was hoping to steal Ian for a quick round of basketball," he said.

Ian walked blinking every chance he had while following Decaf. He ended the journey the same way it started, with a game of basketball. Decaf was dribbling the basketball while Ian was waving his arms in the air trying to catch the ball.

"Don't think that an acid burn will slow me down," Decaf asked.

"Don't think that having a male c-section will slow me down," Ian stated.

" Touché."

Decaf made a run for it while dribbling a basketball on the right side of the court. Ian remained in front of him. Decaf felt like a nutball at how he was dribbling up and down trying to find a spot to shoot for hoops.

He decided to make the shot from where he was... and he missed. The ball rebounded off of the hoop and hit the floor. Ian was surprised that happened because Decaf seemed to be good at this game.

"It was half court," he said, "it doesn't count."

Ian couldn't believe Decaf was trying to make an excuse for his lousy shot.

The robotic voice spoke up again over the intercom, "T-minus fifteen minutes."

Ian felt so stupid now because he was in a basketball field with little time to get to the cyrosleep chamber.

"We might as well stop," he said.

"Agreed," Decaf stated.

First they put the ball away and then shook hands for a game that worked up quite a sweat.

"It's been fun," he said.

The best friend Ian had in the marines was without a second thought Decaf. There were only two pods left unoccupied. Ian allowed Decaf to go into his pod first.

"See you in the morning," Decaf joked.

" Yeah, see you also in the morning. Hope the hangover isn't so bad." Ian said waving goodbye.

Decaf's glass door closed, "Sleep well David."

Decaf felt heavy fatigue before he just closed his eyes and couldn't open them.

"My turn," he said to himself.

"You have five minutes," a voice spoke up from behind him. He turned around and saw Hal with his hands behind his back.

" Hi Hal. What are you doing in the cyrosleep chamber? Androids don't really need to be in one of those things."

"I came to ask a question before you went to sleep. You did not like me when you met me, why?" He asked.

Ian pondered why himself since it wasn't because Hal was an android.

"I could not read your face," he said, "I can tell what people are thinking by their facial expressions, and you never have an expression."

Hal found things were beginning to make sense perfectly now.

"I have nothing to hide from you," he said.

Ian and Hal seemed to be wasting time with their conversation.

" Three minutes left." The robotic voice said.

"However," Ian said, "you helped Julia when she needed it, you're okay in my book."

Even though Hal was an android he smiled hearing Ian's compliment.

"That's the first time I have seen you smile all trip," he said.

" Two minutes left in the cyrosleep chamber. If your far away you better start running there."

"Huh," Ian said, "that android has a sense of humor."

Hal smiled again, "That's my pre-recorded voice."

Ian was completely taken by surprise by Hal's comment.

"I had a while to prepare," he said.

" Your a really good android Hal."

"As I was programmed to be," he stated.

" One minute left to get into your cyrosleep chamber."

"You need to sleep," Hal stated.

Ian finally climbed inside the cyrosleep chamber to sleep.

"Sleep well," Hal said closing the lid.

Ian was now fast asleep thanks to the cyrosleep gases filling his chamber.

Hal was free of human conversation but he had something to keep him occupied. He walked to the window where the xenomorph planet was now dust and looked at the spores of once was terrain.

" Humans will be the only race to exist in this space, but we will take care of you xenomorph's when you decide to communicate with us."

 **The End**


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